VIZIO VP505XVT 50" Plasma HDTV Review

These days, I feel like plasma technology is the Rodney Dangerfield of HDTVs. If you look at how LCDs are grabbing market share in the U.S., plasmas get no respect from the general buying public.

I'll admit that I am biased. I prize the production of deep blacks for which plasmas have earned a well-deserved reputation. And when I see a high performance plasma that is value priced like the VIZIO VP505XVT, I must bestow it our Highly Recommended rating.

Since it lacks certain features like Internet connectivity, I would not call this VIZIO a no-compromise HDTV. But if you are simply interested in enjoying prime-time TV and Blu-ray movies on a stunning 50" 1080p plasma display, then at its current street price, the VP505XVT is a no-brainer.

(Editor's Note: At this time, the VP505XVT is only available at Costco.)

The most distinctive design feature on this VIZIO is the half inch black mask all around the outside edge of the screen. I'm not talking about the normal piano black glossy bezel frame, which is a little over one and a half inches.

Inside the bezel, this mask is separate and is integrated into the glass of the screen. When the TV is on, the image comes right to the edge of the mask. I think it adds a dimensionality to the display that I like.

This almost four inch deep plasma TV is four hands full - and two strong backs - because it weighs 96 pounds with its non-swivel stand. I prefer the flexibility of a TV that rotates on its base, though with plasmas, unlike LCDs, you can sit really far off center and the image does not deteriorate.

A wide viewing angle is the good news with plasmas. Traditionally the bad news was that plasma screens tended to be reflective. Most of the plasmas produced in the last couple of years are implementing non-glare filters which solves much of the reflection problem. And I don't find this VIZIO to be particularly glary.

Right now the TV is turned off and my computer monitor, which is directly facing the VP505XVT, is shining bright. If I turn around, I can see the monitor reflecting in the darkened TV screen. But when I flip on the TV, the monitor can hardly be noticed.

And this next piece of advice holds true for any bright light that is directly reflecting into your plasma - or LCD for that matter. Turn it off if it bothers you, that's what I do with the computer monitor.

Below the screen, a cross-hatched, matte black, (with a hint of red), grille encloses the twin, integrated 10W speakers.

On the right side of this HDTV along the edge of the frame are the basic control buttons. A little farther back on that side are two HDMI inputs. That's it. Usually, there's a small convenience panel with at least a few other connections. Not on this TV.

Everything else is in the back. Unluckily, the designers at VIZIO are stubborn about placing all the sockets facing down. I have a hard enough time attaching HDMI cables when I can see the input slot. On these VIZIO's, it's always a matter of blind groping. At least they color code the connectors, if you are limber enough to see them by craning your neck around a four foot wide TV.

(This diagram of the panel has been split and stacked for the sake of readability.)

As you can see this panel contains two more HDMIs (with one stereo Audio In matched to the HDMI 2 input), one Component In (Y,Pb/Cb,Pr/Cr) with stereo Audio Ins, one Composite In (with a stereo Audio In), one S-Video In, one VGA PC input with an Audio In (stereo mini-jack), one stereo analog Audio Out, and one digital Audio Out (optical).

Notice the three Service Ports. The manual offers no reason for the need for three. It does give an ominous warning, "Use of this input for any purpose other than factory authorized service will void the manufacturer's warranty of this equipment."

The one RF antenna connector links to integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM tuners. Since the tuner system is Clear QAM compatible, you can attach your cable TV signal directly into the RF connector and tune in unscrambled cable stations.

For those concerned about the DTV transition coming up, the ATSC tuner is the key. With the proper antenna, you will be able to tune in digital signals broadcast over the air.

At the Consumer Electronics Show, VIZIO was previewing a number of 2009 models that provide Internet connections to access online content. But these TVs will not be available for at least a few more months. And none of their 2008 TVs, including this VP505XVT, supply this functionality.

Also, this XVT does not provide a USB port or an SD Card reader for accessing photo, music or video files to play on the TV.

VIZIO continues to support picture-in-picture capabilities. In fact, their PIP and POP features are some of the best around. You still cannot combine two over-the-air TV sources side-by-side, but you can display a signal from either the HDMI 1 or 2 input next to an image from either HDMI 3 or 4.

I did run across one oddity when I first pushed the PIP button on the remote. I received a message to check the Parental Control feature. Really?

I admit I was stumped so I called Tech Support. After she walked me through the procedure, she demurely informed me that it was detailed in the manual on page 54. Indeed, it is. Though the manual doesn't explain why I have to turn off Parental Control to use the PIP.

VIZIO's remote controls always seem to be stylish as well as comfortable to use. This silver and black programmable remote supports up to four devices and is backlit when you push any of the buttons. The extra contrast afforded by the light is essential because the labels stenciled on some of the smaller buttons are difficult to read without it.

The EPA is now publishing a list of ENERGY STAR qualified TVs. (You can find it here.) Since this endeavor only started in November 2008, the list is not expansive and the VIZIO VP505XVT is not on the list.

Historically, plasma TVs have been the SUVs of HDTVs, big power guzzlers. I just received an email from the Plasma Display Coalition extolling the energy efficiency of new plasma models. Still, this 50" VIZIO does suck up its share of wattage. The manual states that the average power consumption is 440W.

When I see a high number like that, I have to remind myself that this is a 50" display, which is almost 1.7 times larger than a 42" screen. But even doing the math, this plasma ranks above most Energy Star 3 LCDs.

If you have your abacus handy, you may also wish to calculate an annual cost of running the TV. The formula that the EPA uses assumes that the TV is on five hours a day and in Standby for the other 19.

When we turned Off the VP505XVT, our meter dropped to 0. Let's be conservative and say that Standby Power Consumption is .3W and On mode is 440W. Then the Estimated Annual Energy Use would be 805 kWh/year.

You need to check your electric bill to see how much you are paying for a kWh. The national average is 10.4 cents. Doing the multiplication, at that rate, the yearly energy cost is $83.73 or about seven dollars a month.

If you would like to shave a little bit off the power consumption, some Picture Modes gobble up more electricity than others. For example, the brighter Game and Sports defaults are the worst offenders. The muted Movie mode is the most frugal.

To calibrate the TV, we use the Blu-ray version of the Digital Video Essentials DVD called HD Basics. We are playing the DVD on a Sony BDP-S350 Blu-ray player connected to the HDTV with an HDMI cable.

We use the test patterns to adjust black level, white level, and color bias. The player is set to output a 1080p signal, which is the Maximum Resolution.' class=gloss>native resolution of the VP505XVT.

I usually begin by picking a Picture Mode. VIZIO offers five, Custom, Standard, Movie, Game and Sports. I suggest that you cycle through them as you are watching your favorite programs. If you see one that appeals to you, great. Class is dismissed.

Personally, I avoid brighter choices like Game and Sports. Even though Movie tends to be set too warm for me, I am beginning to favor the direction it takes.

For many people, Standard provides a good starting point from which to begin tweaking. I go straight to Custom because I can switch between it and the Standard and Movie defaults for comparison.

Next, I find the Color Temperature control, which is conveniently located in the main Picture menu. Again, four options are available, Cool, Normal, Warm or Custom.

I usually split the difference between the bluish Cool and the reddish Warm and pick Normal. But for reasons that I will discuss later, I picked Cool, which is the default and the 9300K setting. Cool gives a nice crisp white.

Also, in the Advanced Video menu are settings for items like Flesh Tone and Adaptive Luma. When I am doing my initial setup, I turn these Off.

Back to the main Picture menu, I adjusted Brightness up a few notches from the midpoint of 50. Contrast was dialed down a few more turns below 50.

The test patterns indicated that Color (Saturation) should be around 56. When I switched to watching real video, skin tones were too red, so I tamped Color back to around 50. Tint (Hue) was fine.

The Sharpness slider runs from 0 to 7. Beginning at 2, I see fringing on test patterns. I'm not a big Sharpness fan, therefore I lean towards a 0 or 1 setting. If you want to impress your friends on how sharp your TV looks, push it to 4. Any farther and you are venturing into the Artificial zone.

With those basic adjustments, I was more than happy with the picture quality. Afterward, I did experiment with Adaptive Luma and went back and forth between On and Off. My rule is, if I can't decide, then leave it Off.

After ten minutes of setup from beginning to end, I was finished and content, which is good because the only real fine tuning control is nestled in the Color Temperature feature. If you pick Custom, then you are supplied two groups of adjustments, Gain and Offset. Each has Red, Green and Blue sliders.

Simply, the performance is excellent. VIZIO has implemented the well-respected HQV (Hollywood Quality Video) processing technology in the VP505XVT and it delivers.

I just finished watching the replay on my HD DVR of the amazing finish of the Super Bowl. The VIZIO caught the action as well as Larry Fitzgerald and Santonio Holmes nabbed pigskins.

You will read about 120Hz LCDs that are made for fast moving scenes. Well, plasmas like the VP505XVT operate differently than LCDs and this 120Hz discussion does not apply. Basically, plasmas are inherently capable of handling fast motion.

But if you really want to see the VP505XVT show off, pop in the Blu-ray of Speed Racer. From the opening kaleidoscopic Warner Brothers logo, your eyes will be overindulged in cotton candy color.

Now, I also have the Pioneer KURO 6020 plasma in for review and it's sitting a short two feet away from the VIZIO. Even though the Pioneer 60" KURO is quite a bit more expensive than the VP505XVT, I still thought it was informative to feed them both the same signal and compare.

The first thing I noticed was that to match the KURO's default color temperature, I needed to set the VP505XVT's to Cool. Next, KUROs are known as the kings of deep blacks and though the VIZIO acquitted itself well, the crown is still safely in the Pioneer camp.

I froze frames from a number of different Blu-rays and put my nose next to both screens. Occasionally, I could see how the Pioneer was doing a better job of handling fine detail like the fabric on a coat. Often there was no apparent difference in how the TVs rendered an image.

Remember I was inspecting the screens from only a few inches away, definitely not from a normal viewing distance. Let's just say that all but the most discriminating videophile should be pleased with the video performance of the VP505XVT.

I connected my laptop to the TV with a VGA cable. The manual said that this connection was capable of a 1920 x 1080 resolution and indeed, that is what my humble laptop produced. As you may imagine, high resolution photos looked great on this 50" plasma.

The audio output from the integrated speakers is pretty darn good - not home theater great - just prime-time good. I even like the more spacious effect produced by turning on the SRS TruSurround HD feature. Beyond SRS TDHD, VIZIO only provides the basic Treble, Bass, and Balance controls.

If you are in the market for a well-priced, high performance 50" plasma HDTV, look no farther than the VIZIO VP505XVT. It may not have all the bells and whistles, but we believe its video quality earns it our Highly Recommended rating.

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VIZIO VM60P 60" Plasma HDTV

VIZIO VM60P 60" Plasma HDTV Review
Dick De Jong
April 7, 2007
HDTV Solutions

Five feet. Any discussion about VIZIO's VM60P Plasma HDTV must begin with that mammoth measurement and end with this price punctuation – under $3000. Inches and dollars might not be the greatest gauge of the quality of an HDTV, but a 60" plasma for $2895 is an awfully big elephant in our review facility that must be acknowledged. VIZIO has good reason to call this TV, MAXIMVS.

Since we are throwing around numbers, here's another that must be added to the equation, 1366 x 768 Maximum Resolution.' class=gloss>native resolution. This VIZIO is a 720p plasma even though it accepts 1080p sources, which it downscales to 720p. And finally, let's add a little spice to our spec soup, 7000:1. That's the Full On/Off contrast measures the ratio of the light output of an all white image (full on) and the light output of an all black (full off) image. 2) ANSI contrast is measured with a pattern of 16 alternating black and white rectangles. The average light output from the white rectangles is divided by the average light output of the black rectangles to determine the ANSI contrast ratio. When comparing the contrast ratio of video devices make sure you are comparing the same type of contrast. Full On/Off contrast will always be a larger number than ANSI contrast for the same video device." class=gloss>contrast ratio of this beast of a plasma TV. While the newest LCD models are boasting twice that, most LCDs are still languishing in the under 1500:1 range.

Of course, all the impressive stats don't mean a lick unless the TV can hit with men on base. (Can you tell that baseball season just started?) With HD content, the VM60P consistently hits for extra bases. Standard definition programs can be like wicked curve balls.

O.K., we'll stop with the sports metaphors. Perhaps VIZIO's self admonition that they print on their box says it best, "This VIZIO TV is optimized for HDTV, without an HD source, it's just an ordinary TV." And at five feet, it can reveal that ordinariness in a grand manner.

Now, I've received emails chastising me for not holding VIZIO's feet to the fire and demanding that they make a TV that does a great job of displaying SD material. From my viewpoint, I admire VIZIO for their candor. If they touted their HDTVs as great handlers of SD material and didn't deliver, then it would be my duty to kindle a blaze.

With that said, this plasma does not do a bad job with SD. Sometimes, it looks quite good. But occasionally, it looks like chopped liver. HD material, on the other hand, can look great and in glorious 60". Though don't expect the fine detailed sharpness that a 1080p TV can provide.

Out of the Box
This Maximus was the first TV that really tested the limits of the two of us lifting it out of the box and maneuvering it onto its table. At 179 pounds, this HDTV demands at least a couple of strong backs and a sturdy resting place. If you are planning to hang it on a wall, make sure your mount is firmly attached to stout studs.

With the VM60P, VIZIO has departed from its usual palette of a black bezel and silver speakers. This plasma sports a brushed copper bezel. To maintain a svelte profile, VIZIO enclosed the pair of 20W speakers inside the bezel below the screen. Since they point downward, a snap-on translucent sound reflector is included, which directs the sound out to the audience.

The control buttons are inset on the left side. The only adornment on the front is an illuminated VIZIO that changes from yellow to white when the TV is turned on. The other way that you can tell this TV is switched on is by the noise it makes when this colossus is running. It's not loud or distracting, but you do get the impression that there's some heavy lifting going on inside to present a 60" image.

Once again, the connectors are located on the back of the TV facing downward. Now we have complained about this ad nauseum and with smaller TVs, the location has been more of an annoyance. With this unit, it is definitely an obstacle. If you place your TV on a stand near the wall, with a lighter model, it is fairly easy for one person to maneuver it so you can reach around back and attach a cable. With a 180 pound monster, swiveling is not a one person task. Even if you do turn it at an angle, reaching around a five foot screen is a job for the limber and long armed.

At least, once you traverse back there, you are greeted with the most

HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio, and interactive controls on a single cable. It transmits all ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committe) HDTV standards and supports 8-channel digital audio. First product releases using HDMI occurred in 2003." class=gloss>HDMI connectors (4) that we have seen on a TV. Adding to the mix are a stereo pair of Audio inputs, (which are linked to the HDMIs), two Component inputs (YPbPr) with matching stereo Audio Ins, two Composite (with Audio), two S-Video (with Audio), one VGA (15 pin D-Sub) with a stereo Audio In mini-plug, and a Service port.

Also on the panel is a stereo pair of analog Audio Outs, which is unamplified. So you would connect them to your home theater receiver and not directly to a set of external speakers. In addition, an SPDIF (optical) digital Audio Out is provided and is active when you are receiving digital audio from programs from the tuner input (see below). If you are bypassing the TV's speakers, you can turn them off in the Audio Settings menu.

The one RF connector links to the internal NTSC/ATSC/QAM tuner. The tuners are not integrated in that the digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) channels are segregated. To switch from one to the other, you have to hit the TV button on the remote to cycle from DTV to TV. Also, in Setup, you have to scan the channels separately. We would prefer a more integrated system where you could surf from analog to digital channels by simply hitting the Channel buttons. Since the tuner system is also Clear QAM compatible, you can attach your cable TV signal directly into the RF connector and tune in unscrambled cable stations.

One of us here is a dual-tasker and loves the VIZIO's PIP and POP features. Considering the size of the screen, with the side by side POP, you basically can display two 30" pictures at once. Since not that long ago, we thought that a 27" TV was enormous, this POP is luxurious. An added benefit on this side by side configuration is that each image is being displayed at approximately SD resolution, which makes SD content look much better.

The backlit, black remote is not for the aging eyes. Though we like the layout of the buttons, in low light, those little stenciled descriptors are not the easiest to read. We do definitely appreciate the separate buttons for different Input categories, (HDMI, TV, AV, Component). Though it was a bit odd that the RGB button was bunched in with the PIP controls.

On a remote related topic, we have noticed the other VIZIOs we have reviewed seem particularly susceptible to other remotes. For example, with the VM60P, it turns on when we hit the +10 button on our Oppo remote.

Setup
Our basic setup procedure remains the same. We're using the Oppo DV981HD DVD player and the Digital Video Essentials DVD, (the SD version), to calibrate the monitor. We attached the Oppo's HDMI out to the HDMI input on the VIZIO and used test patterns to adjust black level, white level, and color bias. The DV981HD can upconvert a standard definition DVD to 1080p; and since the VM60P accepts 1080p sources, we set the Oppo output to 1080p.

The Video Settings Menu on the VIZIO provides the basic controls: Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Hue and Sharpness. Also, you have Picture Mode presets labeled Vivid, Sport, Game, and Movie, as well as a Custom choice. Interestingly, if you select the Reset to default, Vivid is chosen. Since we like to have a full range of adjustments, we always pick Custom and work from there.

Under the Advanced submenu are controls for Noise Reduction, Fleshtone, Dynamic Contrast, and Color Temperature. The Color Temperature selections are User, Cool, Standard and Warm. For added control, User includes sliders for Red, Green, and Blue, which default to a midpoint of 50. At those settings, User was the coolest of the four choices. Cool was a little warmer (slight yellow tinge), Standard was even warmer, and Warm was downright yellow. We stuck with User.

According to our test patterns, the screen produced even displays of gray scale and color across the 60" expanse. The Brightness and Contrast controls were robust enough to allow us to tune in those settings to our satisfaction. We're not giving exact numbers because they changed depending on the Input. And we know it will vary for you depending on your setup.

In the beginning, we like to turn most of the advanced features either way down or off, which is what we did for Fleshtone and Dynamic Contrast. (In later tests, we did not really like the artifacts caused by turning on Fleshtone or Dynamic Contrast, so we always left them off.) Noise Reduction has two controls, Motion and Digital. We set Motion to Adaptive and Digital down to 10.

As an additional test for deinterlacing and noise reduction, we have been running our review units through their paces with a DVD full of video processing tests. This HQV disc is produced by Silicon Optix, who makes their own brand of video processing chips. Even so, we find that the DVD offers some good tests that we can use to compare TVs. We just received the HD-DVD version of the HQV disc so we popped it into our Xbox 360 HD-DVD player and set the output to 1080i, which let's us check the VIZIO's deinterlacing prowess. The HDTV performed excellently on both jaggies and noise tests.

Performance
If you had asked us early on in the reviewing process what we thought of the VM60P, we would have admitted that it was making us work to achieve real world results that we liked. But somewhere in the midst of exposing this TV to a gauntlet of different SD and HD material, we seemed to hit the comfort zone – that place where you are not constantly reaching for the remote to make tweaks to the picture and you can sit back and enjoy the program.

We would suggest starting with HD material to get a feel for the picture settings that you want. SD programming is just too fickle especially with the VM60P. You will feel that you are constantly chasing your tail trying to settle on a satisfying skin tone or saturation level. With HD sources, especially HD-DVDs, we had a higher quality, more stable picture to adjust.

Once dialed in, we could partake in the joys of the plasma's extended contrast range. Many of the shadows in the spooky corners of Sleepy Hollow were made visible in creepy corporeality. Often with LCDs, the darker grays were all crushed to black. The sets on West Side Story (broadcast on HDNet Movies) were radiantly Technicolor. And the swirling, sanguine seas in the Japanese classic Kwaidan were surrealistically supernatural.

The NBA in HD on a five foot screen may not be as good as a front row seat next to Jack at a Lakers game, but you're definitely close enough to read the tattoos on Kobe's arms. And baseball in high definition, it's like sitting behind the dugout at Wrigley Field.

Now, to rein in our enthusiasm, when we played the HD-DVD of Casablanca, (which, for all you youngsters, was shot in B&W), when we looked closely at Ingrid Bergman's face, we saw the VM60P working hard to maintain a smooth shading. Every so often, it would lose the battle and we noticed a slight banding. To be fair, we're standing much closer to the screen than normal; and at a proper viewing distance, only the most discerning eagle eyed would see this.

Gears of War on the Xbox looked great, though occasionally the interstitials would be a little sparkly. If anything at 60", slogging through bloody, dismembered body parts might be a bit too graphic for the squeamish.

With playing back both HD-DVDs and Gears on the Xbox, we tried both the VGA and Component cables. The VGA color seemed more stable but at the cost of saturation, which you cannot adjust in the VGA Video Settings menu. We usually opted for the Component cable. Also, we compared the 1080p and 720p signals from the Xbox. Remember that the VIZIO downscales 1080p to the HDTV's native resolution of 720p. We would go back and forth on whether there was a difference and what it was. Let's just say, try it for yourself and let us know what you think.

Next, we connected our laptop to the VM60P with a VGA cable. The manual suggests that for the best picture quality that we set the computer's resolution to 1024 x 768, which we dutifully tried. But we were not surprised to see that it stretched the computer image horizontally. So, since the native resolution of the VIZIO is 1366 x 768, we figured that we should set the laptop to that also. After engaging the Auto Adjustment feature in the Video Settings menu, the image on the TV was perfectly positioned and not stretched.

Looking at photos of a scarlet haired Finnish singer on the big 60" screen was extreme. If you zoomed in, you could easily read the number on her wristband and scrutinize the bug suspended in her necklace. Internet pages were sharp and easy to read.

But I would hesitate to use this plasma for computer use because of the slight possibility of image retention. Simply, if an image stays too long on the TV, it may leave a ghost on the screen that is visible when the image is no longer displayed. Often the ghost will disappear over time, but in extreme cases it could burn-in to the screen and never go away. To be clear, we never encountered burn-in on the VM60P.

In the past, plasma TVs gained a reputation for being susceptible to image retention. Newer models in the last few years have come up with techniques to essentially eliminate the problem. With the VM60P, we did notice ghosting when a particularly bright screen image would change to a solid dark background. We must say that in normal viewing, as images were constantly moving and changing, we never noticed ghosting.

VIZIO does provide an Image Cleaner feature, which will remove ghosts. Though they warn, "This feature will not remove images that have been displayed too long." We have never encountered any problems with burn-ins on plasmas. But if you are spooked by ghosting, then you should consider an LCD.

As we have said, we like plasmas for their high contrast ratio and also for their truly wide viewing angles. This VIZIO does not disappoint. Even from a severe angle, the color remains saturated and the picture sharp. Of course, one of the drawbacks of plasmas is that their front glass is more reflective than LCDs. Indeed, the VM60P does reflect bright backgrounds, though it really isn't distracting when the TV is on.

Finally, the stereo 20W speakers will not rock and roll your world even when the volume is turned all the way up. The flip side is that even at full volume, the speakers don't rattle and the sound fidelity is good. But if you want sonic booms that fit the size of this HDTV, you need to invest in a more muscular receiver and speaker system.

Conclusion
We like the VIZIO VM60P and its expansive five foot plasma screen, especially when it's displaying high definition programs. Is it a perfect videophile's HDTV? No. But if you are waiting for a 1080p 60" plasma - for under $3000 – then, we hope that you are a patient soul.

Star Ratings
First, realize, that ratings are relative to when the review was written. The obvious example is Value, what you could purchase for $2000 two years ago or even two months ago would seem like a bad value for that price now.

Second, we have given only two 5 Star ratings, which we reserve for truly outstanding accomplishment.

Performance: 4.5
We can't give the VM60P an unqualified thumbs up. Its HD display over it 60" screen is consistently impressive. But by VIZIO's own admission, with SD content, the TV becomes more ordinary.

Features: 4.5
The VM60P offers the standard features and then ups the ante with four HDMI inputs. With 60" of real estate, side by side POPs become an attractive, functional plus.

Ease of Use: 4.5
The menu makes setting up the TV easy and the remote is well organized with buttons to directly select Inputs. We would prefer having a more integrated TV/DTV system.

Value: 4.5
If we were to judge Value simply as the first 60" plasma to be priced under $3000, then our rating would be 5. But as we have said before, we are tough raters on Value.

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Pioneer PRO-940HD 42" Plasma HDTV

Pioneer Elite 42" PRO-940HD Plasma HDTV Review
Dick De Jong
October 29, 2006
HDTV Solutions

Breath taking. Watching the Pioneer Elite PRO-940HD 42" plasma HDTV often elicited that transcendent state of wonderment. At that moment of witnessing an image so startling in its clarity or fidelity, your breath isn't really snatched from your lungs; you simply forget to exhale. So forgive me if I seem a little breathless in this review. To my eyes and respiratory system, this Pioneer plasma inspires plenty of panting.

And once you recover from marveling at the quality of HD images this 42" TV produces, the real kick in the pants is that the PRO-940HD's resolution is 1024 x 768. For those more-is-better videophiles out there who won't even consider anything less than 1080p, this Pioneer Elite proves that size isn't everything.

In addition to components like integrated NTSC/ATSC tuners (with CableCARD Interface), dual

HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio, and interactive controls on a single cable. It transmits all ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committe) HDTV standards and supports 8-channel digital audio. First product releases using HDMI occurred in 2003." class=gloss>HDMI inputs (capable of accepting 1080p/24Hz signal), and USB and Ethernet connectors; the unit contains video processing and panel technologies exclusive to the Elite brand. Interestingly, Pioneer does not list contrast ratios or brightness ratings; but from my viewing, I have rarely seen better contrast handling. Of course, with all these high-end features and performance comes a corresponding price tag of $3500. Did I mention what a joy it is to watch this TV?.

Out of the Box
The term "box" is inadequate to represent the mobile McMansion in which this plasma rolled up to our door. Give this red and silver case a windshield and headlights and it could be confused for a MINI Cooper. Pop open the outside sheath and you discover the monitor is ensconced in its personal padded and velvet lined case. You have a feeling that you are unwrapping a Fabergé egg. (Of course, such a regal container is not the common method of packing and shipping this unit.)

Once extracted from its cocoon you realize that this butterfly is flying free from its stand. Attaching the stand is a little like the baffling job of putting together the kids swing set on Christmas Eve - some assembly required. Though with only four bolts to screw in, the task proved easier than it first appeared. The unit with stand weighs about 70 pounds. With the handgrips molded into the back of the chassis, two people can maneuver the TV around fairly easily.

Pioneer PRO-940HD 42" Plasma HDTV

The jet black bezel and matching stand present an elegant package. Since the control panel buttons are indented on the right side behind the screen, the facade is almost completely unadorned except for the silver Elite logo in the center and Power indicator lights on the bottom left.

I like the look of the glass on plasmas though some people feel that it is too shiny when the TV is turned off. Pioneer has implemented a Surface PRO Color Filter on their Elites that enhances color and contrast while reducing the light reflection on screen, which results in a more muted appearance to the switched off monitor.

Of course, if you or your significant other are adverse to the sight of a 41" wide (4.5" deep without the 11" wide stand) black, unblinking, right-angled Cyclops hulking in your room, Pioneer does include a Home Media Gallery feature that can turn your TV into a canvas for your favorite photos. (For more suggestions on how to integrate your HDTV into your home, see our HD Design column.)

If I hadn't made it clear already, this Elite, at almost every step along the way, offers what you would expect in an HDTV - then adds its own flair. For example, if you look at the back of the unit, the standard AV connectors are included, in duplicate: HDMI, Component, Composite, and S-Video. Then for good measure (and easier access), extra sets of Component and Composite inputs are mounted on the left side of the monitor.

Pioneer PRO-940HD AV Connectors

The HDMI inputs along with a CableCARD slot, an Ethernet port, an RS-232C input, a 15-pin D-Sub PC input, and antenna terminals, are all positioned facing up in a hard-to-reach and even harder-to-see location. Thankfully, the abundance of AV connections face outward, making them much more accessible. I also applaud Pioneer for the added touch of including speed clamps and plastic ties to assist in controlling cable clutter.

Pioneer PRO-940HD HDMI and other Connectors

For those connecting DVD players or set top boxes that have It can also carry an analog signal and comes as DVI-I (integrated - analog and digital), DVI-D (digital only) and DVI-A (analog only). Dual link DVI connections add additional resolution capabilities. Digital cable lengths should not exceed 15 feet. Specifications on DVI are available at www.ddwg.org. Click for more details on DVI." class=gloss>DVI Outs (and therefore have to transmit audio to the TV through the stereo Outs to the analog audio Ins on the TV), the PRO-940HD offers separate analog audio inputs for the two HDMI inputs. Often manufacturers will only provide one set of audio Ins that is either shared by the HDMIs or one of them goes without.

Even though Pioneer has beefed up their pair of integrated (non-detachable) 13W speakers with "SRS(WOW) technology, which includes SRS Surround, TruBass and Focus for superior audio quality," I assume most of you will bypass the TV and route your audio through a more stalwart sound system. If the TV is hooked up to an external antenna, you can export the audio from the TV through either a digital optical or an analog stereo output. There's even a Subwoofer output.

The NTSC/ATSC tuner is truly integrated to the extent that you hook up your antenna and the tuner scans the digital and analog signals together and builds a comprehensive list of both digital and analog channels. And following the two-is-better-than-one theme, the PRO-940HD provides dual tuners. In addition, the TV Guide On Screen interactive program guide is included.

Of course, this Pioneer has the V chip and companion parental controls. And for those multitaskers, you can split the screen or play with PIP (picture in picture).

And the list of features marches on. Perhaps the most noteworthy is the Home Media Gallery, which is a built-in program that allows you to hook into your home network either through the TV's Ethernet port or USB connector.

Displaying Photos in the Home Media Gallery

Even if you are not ready to string a Cat 5 cable across your living room floor, if you own one of those nifty USB portable flash drives, you can load it up with your favorite family photos and plug it into the USB port on the side of the TV. The Home Media Gallery software will read the drive and display your snazzy snapshots in luxurious color on your big screen Elite. You also can create a slideshow that will change images at an interval you set.

As you may imagine with a TV with this many options, the remote control can become a bit overpopulated with buttons. Pioneer designers squash pushbutton proliferation by only putting the essentials on the remote. And they are spread out over more real estate than is normal.

PRO-940HD Remote Flip Out Section

Also, many of the controls for external components like set top boxes are secluded behind a flip-out door at the bottom. The backlight casts this eerie red glow, which makes the stenciled lettering easier to read while at the same time setting a great Halloween mood.

Setup
This is the first TV I have reviewed that I felt didn't need any adjustment. I almost hesitated to play with the Picture controls because it looked so good right out of the box. And when I did pull out the Digital Video Essentials DVD and went through the normal calibration routine, I made a minor tweak to the brightness and that was that.

I was glad I stepped through the process because it made me appreciate all the fine-tuning controls that were available. Not only are there the normal basic picture adjustments for Contrast, Brightness, Color and Tint; but click on the Pro Adjust selection and you are greeted with a variety of advanced picture controls that could calm the twitchiest of tweakers.

Tools like CTI (Color Transient Improvement), Intelligent Color, and Dynamic Range Expander may frighten the meek. Indeed, if you feel you are over your head, follow your gut and stay away. For those adventurous adjusters out there, Pioneer does an adequate job of giving on-screen guides to controls and the manual is well written.

To begin, you might want to scroll through the different AV Selections of presets, Standard, Dynamic, Movie, Game and Pure. Notice the difference in the pictures and then examine how the individual settings have changed. For example, Movie desaturates the image by dropping the Color setting to -5, softens the image a bit by lowering Sharpness to -8, and adds a little warmth by pushing the Color Temp to Low.

Play around. If you find yourself floundering in the deep end, you can always hit the Reset button to return the settings back to the shallow waters of the default. The reason I suggest you futz with a perfectly good image is so you can see how responsive the PRO-940HD is to these adjustments. And you also might discover that you actually prefer a slightly cooler or warmer image or one that is not so razor sharp.

Now, if you really wish to tweak your Testarossa of a television, the Pioneer Elites can be professionally ISF calibrated to your most demanding standards for both day and night viewing.

Performance
What can I say without resorting to hyperbole? This HDTV rocks.

Whether revealing the nasty nooks and creaky crannies of Count Olaf's gothic house in Lemony Snicket or illuminating Rembrandt's mastery of light and shadow in the Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp, the PRO-940HD excelled with flying colors. The black and white rendition of the Philadelphia Story was luscious. Notwithstanding the genius of Antonio Gaudi, the 1984 Japanese documentary on the Spaniard's architecture was mesmerizing.

In fact, I found that I was spellbound quite often when watching programs on this TV. It might be a little detail like how the light reflects off the rich red metallic finish of Joe Satriani's Ibanez JS series guitar. Whatever it may be, a sense of the sublime is incited. And you think, this is the way high definition should look. But I wax poetic.

Usually, if I need a pail of cold water thrown on my HD reverie, I simply turn on an SD channel. And even with this Elite, watching standard definition - I'm ready to dub it "substandard def" - is a slap in the face. Though the PRO-940HD handles SD programs about as well as any of the HDTVs I have seen.

I did run into two situations while viewing HD content. First, on an occasional program, I would see noticeable judder in camera pans. Since this wasn't a consistent problem, I would tend to blame the source material and not the TV. Also, some programs would veer too much towards the vivid for my tastes. I seem to be especially sensitive to ruddy skin tones. I found that the default for the Picture control named Color Space is set to 1, which the manual describes as, "Optimized for vivid, vibrant color reproduction." Switching to 2, (Standard color reproduction), reined in the red to my satisfaction.

Finally, I hooked up a Dell laptop to the TV through the 15-pin D-Sub input. (There is a separate mini plug connection for the audio.) In the manual, the computer compatibility chart lists resolutions from 640 x 480 to 1360 x 768; but it does not recommend one. The Picture controls are limited to Contrast, Brightness, Red, Green, and Blue. In the Options menu, you can opt for an Automatic Setup that adjusts Horizontal and Vertical Positioning. Or you can manually adjust them as well as Clock and Phase.

The PC images are sharp and clean, but I don't think that my poor peepers would want me to do word processing on this monitor for an extended period of time. But because of this 42" beauty's color rendition, I could Photoshop all day to my eyes' content.

Conclusion
The Pioneer PRO-940HD provides top-notch HD performance and a bevy of features. This HDTV is a videophile's dream and does Pioneer's Elite brand proud. It serves as a great reference monitor. I'll be sorry to see it go.

Star Ratings
First, realize, that ratings are relative to when the review was written. The obvious example is Value, what you could purchase for $2000 two years ago or even two months ago would seem like a bad value for that price now.

Second, I have yet to give a 5 Star rating, which I am reserving for truly outstanding accomplishment. And as you can see below, the Pioneer PRO-940HD has achieved that standard of excellence.

Performance: 5
Is this Elite HDTV perfect? No. But its color fidelity and contrast handling does definitely elevate PRO-940HD above the crowd.

Features: 5
With dual HDMI inputs and twin tuners only serving as the appetizers to a smorgasbord of features, the biggest problem is overeating. But all the bells and whistles are just noise if the HDTV doesn't perform. The PRO-940HD delivers.

Ease of Use: 4.5
All the features can be daunting. But you can plug and play and have a great viewing experience without ever learning about adjustments with acronyms like MPEG NR or I-P Mode.

Value: 4
I'm a tough grader on Value, and $3500 is on the high end of the scale for 42" plasmas, especially with a resolution of 1024 x 768. But this Pioneer provides a lot of bang for its big bucks. For me, on Value, 4 is a high mark.

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Review - Maxent MX-5020HPM 50" Plasma Monitor

Maxent MX-5020HPM 50" Plasma Monitor Review
Dick De Jong, October 12, 2006
HDTV Solutions

If you are in the market for a new HDTV, then products like the Maxent MX-5020HPM 50" Plasma Monitor serve as great points of reference – touchstones for what to expect at a certain price today. With a street sticker hovering around $2000, this recently released 50" plasma is not one of the new 1080p breed. Instead, it hits the current sweet spot resolution of 1366 x 768. (Even though the market is moving fast, you probably will have to pay a premium for 1080p TVs until sometime in 2007.)

Before we go comparing apples and pomegranates, the MX-5020HPM is a monitor and not a true TV. It does not have a TV tuner inside, neither NTSC (analog), nor ATSC (digital). If you want to watch television, you need to feed it a signal from a cable or satellite set top box (or a HTPC, [Home Theater PC], or a standalone tuner box). While you are at it, make sure whatever you choose is capable of supplying this monitor with HD content. Let's face facts, why buy a 50" plasma if all that you are watching is SD material?

Even though TVs with ATSC tuners are becoming commonplace, you still tend to pay a slight bit more than for a comparably sized monitor. Since I only test the TV tuners for the sake of the review and never use them in my day to day watching, I actually prefer monitors for reasons I will discuss later. The one advantage that I see for a TV over a monitor is when your cable or satellite fritzes out in the middle of a must-see TV program. If it's being broadcast over the air, an integrated TV tuner could be a party saver.

Out of the Box
As you can imagine with a 50" plasma, extracting this 115 pound (with stand) baby out of the box and onto a table is a two person job. If you are planning on mounting it on a wall, I would suggest siring a couple of muscular teenagers who can lift while you control the cables and connect to the mount.

Maxent MX-5020HPM 50" Plasma Monitor

The unit measures 49 1/2" x 33 5/8" x 4 3/8" without the detachable stand. The speakers, which are encased in the grille below the monitor, cannot be removed. Maxent hasn't strayed from the industry standard black bezel, (though this one is not razor thin), and silver accents. As you can imagine, a TV over four feet wide makes a statement in all but the most cavernous halls, which probably is one of the reasons that you are considering it. Hopefully, you are also thinking about where you will place it and how it will complement the rest of the room. (For some design suggestions, see our new column, HD Design.)

The Control Panel buttons are jutting down on the bottom right side of the monitor. Little icons describing the controls adorn that corner along with the green/orange power/standby light. Except for an unassuming "Maxent" in the middle, the rest of the black bezel is thankfully unsullied.

Located on the back of the monitor are the usual suspects of audio video connections. And, once again, they are pointed down huddling in the shadows close to the chassis. (I was heartened to see that a number of the newer models showing at CEDIA had ceded to the notion of orienting those pesky connectors in a much easier to see and reach side-facing position.)

Since the

HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio, and interactive controls on a single cable. It transmits all ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committe) HDTV standards and supports 8-channel digital audio. First product releases using HDMI occurred in 2003." class=gloss>HDMI connection is becoming more prevalent in everything from DVD players to set top boxes, a TV with multiple HDMI connections should be de rigueur. (Granted, there are other solutions on the market like the soon-to-be-reviewed Gefen's 2x1 HDMI Switcher and Pioneer's VSX-82TXS receiver, which can switch between three HDMI inputs.) This Maxent monitor offers two HDMI (with HDCP) inputs and the traditional assortment of computer (15 pin D-sub), component, and composite inputs.

Also, the MX-5020HPM has one set of RCA stereo audio inputs, (labeled It can also carry an analog signal and comes as DVI-I (integrated - analog and digital), DVI-D (digital only) and DVI-A (analog only). Dual link DVI connections add additional resolution capabilities. Digital cable lengths should not exceed 15 feet. Specifications on DVI are available at www.ddwg.org. Click for more details on DVI." class=gloss>DVI In), to accompany the HDMI connectors, which is essential if your source machine only has DVI output like the OPPO DVD player used in our setup. Even though we use a DVI to HDMI cable, the audio is not conveyed through a DVI connector. So to transmit audio from the player to the TV, I hook together the stereo Outs on the DVD player to the Ins on the TV.

Though, as the Maxent manual charitably admits, their 5 watt speakers are "general purpose, you may consider switching them OFF during hi-fidelity playback of movies or other content." I hardily agree. You really should route your audio through a separate sound system. When I turned on the HBO HD broadcast of the Phantom of the Opera, I couldn't run fast enough to switch the audio to a set of external speakers. The monitor even has stereo RCA Audio Outputs to route any audio coming into the set out to an external amplifier.

Setup
As usual, to calibrate the monitor, I attached the DVI Out on the Oppo OPDV971H DVD player to the HDMI input on the Maxent and used the Digital Video Essentials DVD test patterns to adjust black level, white level, and color bias.

The On Screen Display (OSD) Menu is rather spare in Picture Controls and does not offer more than the very basics of Contrast, Brightness, Color and Tint, which with many TVs is all you really need because out of the box, they only require minor tweaks. The problem is with the Maxent review unit I have; I could never calibrate the monitor to my eye's satisfaction with the four controls provided. The results were always too red, especially noticeable with skin tones. Now if you are watching Chariots of Fire with ruddy-faced Englishmen, you may not know the difference. But that red bias may make you queasy when some of the paler contestants on America's Top Model are exhibiting that sickly orange tinge reminiscent of a bad spray-on tan.

I became dizzy trying to adjust the monitor to an acceptable and consistent skin tone. I tried the Datacolor Spyder TV Pro system and still everyone is either rosy faced or carroty cheeked. I lusted after at least one more control, perhaps Color Temperature. Alas, the only other adjustments were stashed away in the Service Menu. And with no instructions in the manual on how to use the Service Menu, I didn't feel comfortable in fiddling around in there.

But before I returned this monitor, I wanted to give it a second chance so I contacted Maxent technical support and received a call back from Kevin Tin, Maxent's Service Manager. (One of the perks of reviewing is that you go to the top guy.) Kevin was kind enough to walk me through connecting my computer to the monitor through the RS-232 connection. I could then read the current red, blue and green bias and gain settings and make the necessary adjustments. A word of warning is critical at this point: The Service Menu is not a toy. Unless you know what you are doing, stay away – stay way away. Maxent's Service Menu is no different. It contains enough trap doors that you don't want to go exploring without knowledgeable guidance.

After I lowered the Red Bias and Red Gain a few notches, I was able to rescue the TV characters skin from the brink of high blood pressure or scorching sunburns. Though the tones were now comfortably acceptable, I can't say that they were consistent from channel to channel or sometimes even from shot to shot on the same program. But to quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines." Also, I'm not so confident that the erratic coloration was not due more to the production quality of the shows or the differences in transmission of the cable channels.

After calibrating Bias and Gain in the Service Menu, I again ran through the Digital Video Essentials DVD test patterns. The adjustments were fairly close to the Defaults. I dropped Contrast to 77 and raised Brightness to 53. I tend towards less saturated colors, so I moved Color to 47. And Tint is in the –7 area. To minimize fringing, I set Sharpness to 20.

The Black Level Extension feature was not helpful. It is supposed to "enhance luminance and color transition." Even at the Low setting, it darkened the test pattern bars to oblivion so I left it Off. Also, I turned Off the Noise Reduction feature.

The OSD has a few quirks. For example, you don't hit the OK button to accept a selection. (It's the right arrow key.) But when you pick a control like Contrast, the slider does minimize down to the bottom of the screen so you can see changes as you make them, which is a good thing.

As usual, depending on the Input source, the Picture Controls on the OSD menu vary. For example, if you are connecting a PC through the RGB input, the Picture Controls expand to include V Position and V Size, H Position and H Size and Clock Phase.

Since this is a plasma and many people are still concerned about image burn-in, the monitor does offer an Image Shift function that you can set to 10, 20 or 30 seconds. In addition, the Setup Menu provides a Full White and Multicolor option for eliminating electrically charged residual images.

Also, when you are watching an HDMI source, you can turn on Picture in Picture (PIP) and display a second source (AV or Component) in a small window that can be placed in any one of the four corners.

One of the choices in the Format submenu is Panorama, which expands the edges of a native 4:3 image to fit the 16:9 format; but it is disabled with HDMI sources.

And if you like to be master of your domain, you can access the Function Setup menu in the Service Menu and disengage the control buttons on the front of the monitor. (Yes, the manual actually tells you how to open the Service Menu.) Then, the power is in the hands that hold the remote.

About the non-backlit remote control, when I first started playing with it, I kept getting the message, "Feature Not Available" as I punched random buttons. I soon realized the obvious, since the MX-5020HPM is a monitor, the TV-centric buttons like Swap, SAP or Guide were useless. This is a multi-component-capable unit though and many of the buttons could be handy when controlling a DVD player or cable box.

Performance
One of the reasons that I like monitors is their scaled down functionality. Basically, it is presenting an image. You don't have to worry about programming TV tuners. Just feed it a signal, turn it on and you're ready to rumble. If only this Maxent could be so accommodating, I could give it a better rating.

I love plasmas for the deep blacks, and I will admit that when I finally wrestled the red into submission, I could finally appreciate the fully saturated color palette. We have the full Dish lineup of HD channels including the VOOM boutiques. Surfing through this smorgasbord challenges a TV with a high def gauntlet of content. The MX-5020HPM performed adequately – occasionally admirably - but I was never overwhelmed by the image. Of course, with monitors over 50", it becomes more and more difficult to hide any flaws in the display.

I also hooked up my laptop through the VGA connection. The manual suggests that the computer's resolution be set to 1280 x 1024, 32 bit. The monitor had no problem locking on to that signal. As you can imagine, the image is gigantic. Though I found it a little soft for reading numbers and letters, which would make Internet browsing undesirable. Sharpness is not available as a control in this mode.

Conclusion
The Maxent MX-5020HPM is a value priced monitor that will not be confused for an overachiever. Once properly calibrated (not an easy task), the 50" display should be able to satisfy a football fanatic fiesta. A true videophile will be better served by looking elsewhere.

Star Ratings
First, realize, that ratings are relative to when the review was written. The obvious example is Value, what you could purchase for $2000 two years ago or even two months ago would seem like a bad value for that price now.

Second, I have yet to give a 5 Star rating, which I am reserving for truly outstanding accomplishment.

Performance – 3
Even after the arduous task of calibrating this monitor, I never felt consistently satisfied with its performance.

Features – 3.5
A monitor doesn't necessarily need a lot of features. I give credit for the two HDMI inputs and the audio outs. But the Picture Adjustment controls are lacking.

Ease of Use – 3.0
Once again, monitors are naturally easy to use, but the process to achieve proper calibration is not for the novice.

Value – 3.5
The price is right for the size. If you feel comfortable noodling in a Service Menu, then you might add another half point.

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Panasonic TH-42PH10UK 42" Plasma

Panasonic TH-42PH10UK 42" Plasma Monitor
Dick De Jong
July 30, 2007
HDTV Solutions

The recently released TH-42PH10UK updates Panasonic's 42" offering in their Professional Plasma series. This monitor contains all the elements that you would expect from a commercial product like interchangeable input boards and the ability to be networked into a multi-display matrix. But for many of you searching for a great looking plasma for your home theater, the TH-42PH10UK is well worth considering.

This monitor will not fit neatly into everybody‘s home viewing environment since it is not a bona fide HDTV. For example, it does not have any TV tuners, neither ATSC nor NTSC. You'll need a cable or satellite set top box to watch broadcast TV. Also, though Panasonic does make speakers for this unit, they are sold as an extra accessory. But if you are serious about your home theater experience, you probably already have a dedicated sound system including speakers.

This á la carte approach to components is one of the appeals to the TH-42PH10UK. If you don't need a tuner or speakers, why pay for them? The pricing plan even applies to the stand. The baseline cost is just for the monitor. If you want a stand, it's extra. But if you have decided to wall mount the unit, why buy a stand? Of course, the wall mount is extra, but at least, you are only purchasing what you need.

Before you read further, I must point out that the Maximum Resolution.' class=gloss>native resolution of this plasma is 1024 x 768. If your eyes just widened in surprise, that is a natural reaction in these days when every new monitor seems to be 1920 x 1080. But the TH-42PH10UK, which began shipping in June, maintains the same resolution of last year‘s Professional Plasma 9 Series.

Judging from the superior picture quality of this plasma, you really can't fault Panasonic for their decision not to up the resolution on their 42" model. If you read our article on viewing distance, Pull Up a Chair, you'll see that you would need to move your chair as close as five feet away from the TV before you would notice a difference in detail between a 1080p TV and a 720p. (The HD format that most closely matches this Panasonic is 720p.)

Of course, the image can look so great that you will want to scoot your chair up. Watching the gorgeous Phantom of the Opera HD-DVD, we found ourselves sidling up to about three feet away. Not once, did I think, "Boy, I wish this was 1080p." (I have previously written about my thoughts on pixel envy, …It's the Picture. They haven't changed.)

(Editor's Note: We have posted a video review of this Panasonic monitor. You can see it here.)

Out of the Box
The TH-42PH10UK's design with a gray bezel with a black surround inside doesn't particularly distinguish itself from the crowd. Since the control buttons are on the bottom left of the bezel facing down, the Panasonic logo and the Power light are the only ornamentation on the otherwise clean face of the display.

This industrial visage beckons for the monitor to be hung on a wall in a ultramodern loft with concrete floors and Le Corbusier couches. Of course, I can imagine that an ingenious interior designer could dress it up with a faux frame and make it feel comfortable amongst chintz, chenille or shabby chic.

With the á la carte method of selling this product, it's not surprising that the components are packaged separately. In my case, with this unit, I dealt with three boxes. The monitor came in one, the stand in a second, and the

HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio, and interactive controls on a single cable. It transmits all ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committe) HDTV standards and supports 8-channel digital audio. First product releases using HDMI occurred in 2003." class=gloss>HDMI terminal board in the last.

On the back of the monitor, three slots are available for a variety of input terminal boards. The standard base unit in the U.S. usually comes from the factory with Slots 2 and 3 filled with a BNC Component Video Terminal Board (Slot 3) and a BNC Composite/S-Video Terminal Board (Slot 2). I like an HDMI input, so I requested one for this review. Depending on your requirements, Panasonic offers a range of boards including a Serial Digital Interface for high end video applications.

I would imagine that most retailers would deliver the monitor with the terminal board already installed. But after laying the unit face down on a soft flat surface, the process was just a matter of removing the four screws holding on the Slot 1 base plate, sliding in the board, and securing it with the screws.

Next to the three slots are a VGA (15 pin D-sub) PC input with stereo Audio In (minijack) and a serial RS-232C terminal. These two inputs are standard issue on the monitor.

Since we are touring the backside of the TH-42PH10UK, it provides two sturdy handles, which are always appreciated. The 57 pound (40" W x 24" H x 3.5" D) monitor is not back breaking, but maneuvering it around to attach it to the stand is much easier with the handles.

The stand reflects the Professional Series design, dark gray metal and very solid. Once the monitor is slipped over the stand's arms and screwed on, it's not going anywhere, literally. The display is fixed. It doesn't swivel or tilt on the stand. It would take a fairly good bump before this structure would budge. But if you do have an especially rambunctious household, Panasonic includes a set of bands to secure the stand to the furniture.

The non-backlit remote is functional and not fancy. It's not a universal remote so it isn't overpopulated with buttons. The ones there are large and their labels are easy to read. I also like that each video input has a dedicated button, which makes switching from one to another a breeze.

With no tuner on this monitor, there is no channel setup to discuss or fuss with. Panasonic does include an interesting Picture in Picture (PIP) feature that can be setup in three different orientations.

When the sub picture is overlaid in the PIP, you can even move it from corner to corner. The one drawback is that you cannot combine some analog signals. For example, a Component and PC signal cannot be displayed simultaneously. Other analog pairings do work like Composite/S-Video with Component or PC.

As a reminder that the TH-42PH10UK is a professional product used in digital signage applications, you can assign the monitor an ID number and set it up as part of a multi-display matrix, with up to sixteen screens.

If you are one of those who shy away from plasmas because of the specter of image retention, this display contains a number of features that prevent or reduce that from happening. My favorite is a function called Wobbling, which automatically shifts the image imperceptibly.

Setup
Calibrating this Panasonic plasma was painless, which is high praise from me since I often find the task distasteful and frustrating. Of course, a big portion of the pleasure emanated from the fact that the monitor's picture pleased my eye the first time I fired it up. The biggest tweak was to change the Picture Menu mode from Dynamic to Standard.

To back up a couple of steps, we still go through our basic setup procedure of viewing a series of test patterns from the Digital Video Essentials DVD, (the SD version). We switch between playing back through the OPPO DV-981HD and the Toshiba HD-A20. We use the HDMI connection. Both DVD players can upconvert a standard definition DVD. Since the TH-42PH10UK is closest to a 720p monitor, that is how we set the players' output resolution.

Let me be clear. The TH-42PH10UK will not accept 1080p signals. It does support 720p and 1080i and simply downscales them to its native resolution. The OPPO manual advises changing its output to match the monitor's. Of course, as a tech support guy recently suggested, try either setting, 720p or 1080i and see which one works best for you. Don't be surprised if you can't perceive much difference.

The Picture Menu on the Panasonic provides the basic controls: Picture (Contrast), Brightness, Color (Saturation), Tint (Hue) and Sharpness. The second page offers Color Temp (Normal, Cool, and Warm), Color Management (On or Off), and Advanced Settings.

If you turn this last option On, then you are presented with another two page menu. The first includes Black Extension, Input Level, Gamma, and AGC (Automatic Gain Control). As a rule, I will experiment with these to see how they effect the picture, but I usually return them back to their defaults and try to solve any image problems with the basic controls first.

On the second page of the Advanced Settings menu are individual Bias and Gain adjustments for Red, Green and Blue, with labels like W/B High R and W/B Low R. As a warning, steer clear of this whole page unless you are an experienced technician. You can really screw up your picture with these controls if you don't know what you're doing. If you just can't help yourself and you end up with fuchsia flesh tones, at the top of the first page of this menu is a Normalize button. One click will restore the default factory settings.

As I mentioned, those factory settings were pretty much on the money. Now, I've been doing this long enough and I've seen too wide of range of source material to state unequivocally that you will have the same results as I have. And just surfing through the different HD channels that we receive through Dish Network, I will admit that I want to fine tune here and there. But for me, with the Picture Menu turned to Standard, I felt comfortable with the defaults as a good baseline.

I did find the Sharpness control to be curious. The slider goes from -15 to 15. Usually, we start with Sharpness turned down. With most TVs as you move up through the scale, you will notice a gradual increase in sharpness. With the TH-42PH10UK , clicking from 0 to 1 was like flipping the Sharpness switch on, nothing gradual about it. For those of you who like to view on the razor's edge, you'll want to set it to 1 or above. But even at 1, you may notice a telltale ringing especially on high contrast edges.

Performance
In a word, performance was excellent. Even some SD broadcast TV was good. But when you feed it HD programming from an HD-DVD, ah, what a delight. I attempt to be unbiased, but any TV that can deliver solid blacks turns my head. This Panasonic plasma paints it black.

Phantom of the Opera Widescreen HD-DVD

I find that with an image with a strong black foundation, the colors are richer. Couple that with the TH-42PH10UK's Full On/Off contrast measures the ratio of the light output of an all white image (full on) and the light output of an all black (full off) image. 2) ANSI contrast is measured with a pattern of 16 alternating black and white rectangles. The average light output from the white rectangles is divided by the average light output of the black rectangles to determine the ANSI contrast ratio. When comparing the contrast ratio of video devices make sure you are comparing the same type of contrast. Full On/Off contrast will always be a larger number than ANSI contrast for the same video device." class=gloss>Contrast Ratio of up to 10,000 to 1 and you will begin to understand why I'm not so obsessed with this monitor's 1024 x 768 resolution.

For example, the Voom HD Gallery channel's program on the work of French glass artist, Emile Galle provided a dazzling demonstration of this display. Galle's luminous Carp vase as it spun revealed gorgeous gold and green textures and mesmerizing coral eyes.

Switching to the Xbox, the video experience was equally as engrossing. I attached to the Panasonic with a VGA cable and set the Xbox output to 1024 x 768, Widescreen. Once again, I did not feel underprivileged at this resolution. Test patterns showed only the slightest cropping of the game image.

To test the laptop on the Panasonic, I plugged in a VGA cable and set the computer's resolution to 1024 x 768. Opening up Photoshop, I noticed a definite stretching horizontally when the TH-42PH10UK's Aspect was turned to Full. If I set it to Normal, the computer window was inset horizontally with gray bars on the right and left, but the image was now in the proper proportions. (My graphics card does not have a widescreen option nor could I change the setting to any higher resolutions, which may also have solved the stretching.) Even though photos reproduced well, text didn't look so hot. I would suggest that you not use this plasma for surfing the web.

Finally, I must report that I noticed a bit of banding or contouring with static gradated backgrounds. I usually could write this off to low quality source material, especially with compressed satellite signals, but I saw it a little too consistently from a number of different sources. And of course, one of the advantages of digital inputs like HDMI is its clean throughput, which in this case more clearly exposes any deficiencies in the source material. I would much rather see occasional banding then smooth (or muddy) my input through an analog connection.

Also, you really have to be looking for banding because in most programs, this phenomenon would be a fleeting occurrence if it happened at all. And as I have admitted, I sit much closer to the screen then most reasonable viewers.

Conclusion
The Panasonic TH-42PH10UK is a professional plasma display that can fit comfortably into many home theater installations. One look at the monitor's superior picture quality and you will quickly forget its 1024 x 768 resolution.

First, realize, that ratings are relative to when the review was written. The obvious example is Value, what you could purchase for $2000 two years ago or even two months ago would seem like a bad value for that price now.

Second, we have given only a few 5 Star ratings, which we reserve for truly outstanding accomplishment.

Performance: 4.5
I appreciate the high contrast level, deep blacks, and rich colors that plasmas can produce. The TH-42PH10UK upholds that reputation.

Features: 4.5
This is a monitor. And as a professional display, it contains most of the features that you would expect for a monitor. But if you are looking for a full fledged HDTV with tuners and flash card readers, you will need to look elsewhere.

Ease of Use: 5
The Setup menus are straightforward, the manual is informative and the remote control is delightfully uncluttered. What more can you ask for?

Value: 4.5
I realize that the TH-42PH10UK's resolution is only 1024 x 768. But if you can overcome a case of pixel bias, for the price that I have seen this high performing plasma selling, you should definitely put it on your short list.

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Samsung PN50C8000 Plasma 3D TV Review

Currently, the 8000 series stands tall at the top of Samsung's line of plasma TVs - and well it should.

The 50" PN50C8000 that I am reviewing is filled full of features like 3D playback and an ever expanding basket of apps like Netflix, Hulu and ESPN.

Of course, all the features fall flat if the TV doesn't deliver the performance. And this 8000 series definitely packs the punch that you would expect from a high-end plasma.

Not only is the 2D picture quality excellent, but I am also impressed by how well the TV renders 3D content. And I'm not a huge 3D fan. (3D viewing on this Samsung requires active shutter glasses, which I will discuss later.)

Is it a perfect TV? None of them are. Do I wish it were a little less expensive? I always do.

But if you are in the market for a superior 3D capable plasma HDTV, I would highly recommend the Samsung 8000 series.

(Editor's note: Samsung offers two other sizes of this series, the 58" PN58C8000 and the 63" PN63C8000. Since their specifications are similar, this review can be applied to all three.

Of course, if you have the room and the cash, and you want to impress the crowd at your Super Bowl party, I would suggest the 63".)

Performance: 5.0 Under the theory that there may be a better performing TV out there, I could give the PN50C8000 a half star less. But why quibble? If this TV does not have the best PQ of the current crop, then it's very close. And I'm even pleased with the audio quality emanating from the integrated speakers.Features: 5.0 About the only feature missing from this HDTV is a built-in wireless adapter. You will need to purchase a separate Samsung LinkStick adapter. Other than that, it's all stuffed in there, 3D, DNLA, DivX, and apps, apps, and more apps.Ease of Use: 4.5 If the PN50C8000 is your first full featured TV, then expect a small learning curve. Even if you are an old grizzled vet, it will still take a couple of days to explore all the apps. And 3D can even throw a pro for an occasional loop. To Samsung's credit, they do offer good on-screen instructions and an informative manual.Value: 4.0 The retail price of $2300 is about what you would expect for the MSRP of a top end 3D 50" plasma. As a consumer, you can be thankful that MSRPs quickly melt in the steam heat of today's cutthroat marketplace. A quick search online finds the PN50C8000 priced at least $600 below retail, which is much more inline with its competition. If you can snag it for even less than I would rate that value at 4.5.Ratings are relative to when the review was written. The obvious example is Value, what you could purchase for $2000 two years ago or even two months ago would seem like a bad value for that price now. We have given only a precious few 5 Star ratings, which we reserve for truly outstanding accomplishment.

Follow these links for dealers and pricing:

Samsung PN50C8000 (dealers on HDTV Solutions)

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Samsung PN50A760 Plasma HDTV Review

When I think about describing the features of the Samsung PN50A760, I imagine this truncated conversation with a simple repetitive answer.

It goes something like this, "Does it have Internet RSS service?" Answer, "It's in there."

"Does it have photo..." Interrupted by, "It's in there."

"Does it have net..." "It's in there."

"Does it have..." "Yep, whatever feature you think a current high end HDTV should have, it's in there."

Of course, the most important and fundamental feature that's in there - in this beautiful 50" plasma - is superior picture quality, among the best that I have ever seen.

In fact, I am so impressed with the rose-hued HDTV that Samsung has produced that I am presenting the PN50A760 our Editor's Choice Award, which is our highest honor.

(Editor's Note: Samsung also makes a 58" version of this 760 line, the PN58A760, and a 63" model, the PN63A760. They have similar specifications to their slightly diminutive sibling and this review can be applied to them also.)

Performance: 5.0 I know when I go to CES next month that I might see some hot-shot new HDTV with better picture quality. But from what I have seen of the current crop of TVs, this Samsung PN50A760 is rubbing elbows with an elite few at the top of the heap.Features: 5.0 I haven't seen as many features packed into a TV as this plasma has. But if they are hard to use, then they just aggravate you. The Samsung designers have done an admirable job of integrating the features into a non-threatening package. You will want to read the manual just to find out all that you can do with this HDTV. Ease of Use: 5.0 I don't like the term "intuitive" to describe interfaces. One person's intuitive is another's ass-backwards. But I did find the mechanics of using the myriad features fairly straightforward. I'm not saying that there is no learning curve, especially when connecting the TV to your home network. But first and foremost, it's a TV. Turn it on and enjoy.Value: 4.5 For its high performance and extended feature list, the price of the Samsung PN50A760 seems in line with the marketplace. But in this 2008 holiday shopping season, the HDTV market is in a bit of a free fall. Even with this top of the line 50" plasma, Samsung is currently offering a Christmas rebate.

If you decide that you cannot live without all the high end components that the PN50A760 offers, then this would be an opportune time to acquire our Editors Choice Award winner.

Ratings are relative to when the review was written. The obvious example is Value, what you could purchase for $2000 two years ago or even two months ago would seem like a bad value for that price now. We have given only a precious few 5 Star ratings, which we reserve for truly outstanding accomplishment.

When you look at the product shots of the Touch of Color PN50A760, you can't miss the red accent that graces the top and bottom of the glossy, glassy black frame as well as the TV's base. In our cave-like testing facility, the hue is more of a hint since it is not internally illuminated.

Just below the Samsung logo, the ring on the base does light up. Though if you are not the flashy type, you can turn it off in the Setup menu. There's also a melody that greets you when you turn the TV on. If you like to run silent, run deep, then you can disable it also.

I just discovered that the ring also serves as an On/Off button. (The wonders you learn when you put down the remote and read the manual.)

In the past, plasmas had gained a reputation for highly reflective screens that glare in a brightly lit room. To address that situation, plasma manufacturers are employing anti-glare technologies in their displays. Samsung calls theirs Ultra Filter Bright and it works quite well.

I'm not saying that you won't see a glare from a lamp placed directly behind you, but the reflection is muted. And when the TV is on, you shouldn't notice it. If you do, I suggest that you move the lamp or turn it off.

Speaking of moving, even though its body is about four inches deep, the PN50A760 weighs over 102 pounds and requires two strong backs to safely lug it around. The TV does swivel on its stand about 40 degrees left and right, which gives some flexibility on where you place it.

On the left side of this HDTV is a small convenience connection panel with one

HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio, and interactive controls on a single cable. It transmits all ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committe) HDTV standards and supports 8-channel digital audio. First product releases using HDMI occurred in 2003." class=gloss>HDMI input, one Composite Video In (with a stereo Audio In), one headphone jack (stereo mini) and a WiseLink Pro input, which is Samsung's name for a USB 2.0 port, where you can access photo files (JPEG), audio files (MP3) and movie files to play on the TV.

The rest of the connections are just around back and facing out for easy accessibility. On this panel are three more HDMIs (with one stereo Audio In matched to the HDMI 2 input), two Component Ins (YPbPr) with stereo Audio Ins, one VGA PC input with an Audio In (stereo mini-jack), one stereo analog Audio Out, and one digital Audio Out (optical).

The one RF antenna connector links to integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM tuners. Since the tuner system is Clear QAM compatible, you can attach your cable TV signal directly into the RF connector and tune in unscrambled cable stations.

For those concerned about the DTV transition coming up, the ATSC tuner is the key. With the proper antenna, you will be able to tune in digital signals broadcast over the air.

In the middle of the panel is the EX LINK connector. If you have the PN50A760 attached to a wall mount bracket that has a motorized swivel, then you can adjust the TV viewing angle using your remote control through the EX LINK cable. (On the 58" and 63" models, the EX LINK has different functions.)

Of particular note on the back panel is the LAN port, which connects the TV to your computer network and Samsung's InfoLink Service. Combine these conduits for content with the WiseLink and you realize that the Samsung PN50A760 represents the future of HDTVs with multiple ways to access different types of programs.

For example, with the TV hooked to the Internet through the LAN port, you can tap into the InfoLink Service, which displays windows that overlay weather, news and stock market information on top of the regular TV program you are watching.

Samsung has also preloaded programs on to the TV in their Content Library. Press, what else, the Content button on the remote control, and you can choose from four categories, Gallery, Cooking, Children and Fitness.

The programs are in a slide show format. Take the recipe for Caesar Salad in the Cooking section. The first page is a colorful close-up image with the ingredients listed on top. The next page is the first step in the recipe.

Browsing through the choices I was impressed with the production level and the utility of the information. Samsung even offers more content, (with a promise of a Games category to come), that you can download from their website onto a USB storage device that can be played back from the WiseLink port.

Topping off your ways of feeding content to this TV, the LAN connection can tap into your home network and your computer can directly send photo, music and video files to play on the PN50A760.

I applaud Samsung in their implementation of all these disparate technologies. I'm not saying that you won't have to do a little work to install all these features, but the designers don't construct roadblocks.

The manual and guides are clear and the interfaces are easy to use. And I definitely appreciate the one-button access to many of the menus. You want to activate InfoLink? Just punch the Info.L button on the remote.

When you first pick up the remote control, you can appreciate its ergonomics as it balances in your hand. But the thoughtfulness in design extends even further.

As Mike Wood, the Test Manger at Samsung's QA Labs America, informs, "If you press the remote's Lightbulb button, it activates the gyro so that the remote lights up whenever it moves. The remote will stay in gyro mode until you press the button again, at which point the light, and the gyro function both go off."

Also, those of us who didn't grow up with an iPod grafted to our palm may not notice that the red selection dial actually spins.

The PN50A760 does offer both Picture-in-Picture and Picture-outside-Picture capabilities with controls for sizing and positioning insets. You are limited in the combinations of sources. Quoting the manual, "You can view TV broadcasts on the PIP screen (sub-picture) when the main picture is from an external device connected to HDMI 1,HDMI2/It can also carry an analog signal and comes as DVI-I (integrated - analog and digital), DVI-D (digital only) and DVI-A (analog only). Dual link DVI connections add additional resolution capabilities. Digital cable lengths should not exceed 15 feet. Specifications on DVI are available at www.ddwg.org. Click for more details on DVI." class=gloss>DVI, HDMI 3, HDMI 4, Component 1, 2 or PC." Curiously, the remote doesn't have a dedicated PIP button. You need to first hit the Tools button.

The EPA is now publishing a list of ENERGY STAR qualified TVs. Since this endeavor only started in November 2008, the list is not expansive and though it does include a number of Samsung LCD and microdisplay models, it does not list the PN50A760 plasma.

Therefore, we reverted back to our process of measuring the power consumption of our review units, which is straightforward. We plug the TV into a watt meter, called Watts up? Pro, and take a simple sampling of readings during the playback of a full screen video clip.

When you initially set up this TV, one of the first choices you make is whether you want Store Demo mode or Home Use. The manual suggests Home Use with Standard as the default picture mode. Store Demo defaults to a much, much brighter and power hungry Dynamic.

In our test, Dynamic gobbles up between 460 and 580W. After we adjusted Standard to our preference, the meter reading ranged between 320 and 360W.

In addition, we sampled readings at the Movie Mode default settings and found a similar 320 to 345W range.

Samsung also provides a three setting, (Low, Medium, and High) Energy Saving feature, which darkens the picture. Though when we turned it to High, I didn't notice a big difference in brightness when the room was dark. During the day, at the High setting, the picture did look a little anemic. The power consumption reading of our Standard mode dropped about 40W to a range of 280 to 300W.

Finally, we turn off the TV and measure how much power it is using. The meter dropped to zero almost immediately after we switched it off. When we turned the TV back on, it took about ten seconds to display a picture, which is not bad.

The manual does not state power consumption numbers, but if we used 350W as the On Mode Power number and .5W as an estimate of Standby Power Consumption, then we could calculate the Estimated Annual Energy Use based on the formula that the TV is on five hours a day and in Standby for the other 19. After doing the math, our unofficial Estimated Annual Energy Use would be 642 kWh/year.

You need to check your electric bill to see how much you are paying for a kWh. The national average is 10.4 cents. Doing the multiplication, at that rate, the yearly energy cost to run the PN50A760 for five hours a day would be $66.79. (Once again, this is not the official Energy Star rating.)

To calibrate the TV, we use the the Blu-ray version of the Digital Video Essentials DVD called HD Basics. We are playing the DVD on a Pioneer BDP-94HD Blu-ray player connected to the HDTV with an HDMI cable.

We use the test patterns to adjust black level, white level, and color bias. The player is set to output a 1080p signal, which is the Maximum Resolution.' class=gloss>native resolution of the PN50A760.

Since in the initial setup, when you pick Home Use, the TV defaults to the Standard picture mode, that's where I began. Samsung also offers Dynamic and Movie presets.

In the last year, I have come to appreciate how manufacturers are tuning their Movie or Cinema mode. I definitely suggest that you check the Movie mode out and see if it pleases your eye. But to start, I chose Standard.

This plasma provides a Cell Light setting. Though functionally different, I compare it to the Backlight on LCDs. Mike Wood explains, "Plasmas limit the average picture level (APL). The Cell Light function lowers the point at which the panel starts limiting the light output." If that reads like Greek to you, just leave the Cell Light setting at its default.

Next, I set the Color Temperature. On the PN50A760, the feature is called Color Tone and it's located in the Picture Options sub-menu. I picked Normal. When in Standard mode, you have two other options, Cool1 and Cool2 (blue and bluer). The Warm1 and Warm2 choices are only available if Movie mode is picked.

With those tasks completed, I work through the test patterns. I really didn't labor over the basic adjustments. From the default settings, I left Brightness alone and dropped Contrast a bit. I lowered Color (Saturation) a few notches. Tint (Hue) was unchanged.

Sharpness ranges from 0 to 100. When I push it above 20, I start to see unwanted fringing around lines and numbers.

Samsung has a great feature in the Picture Options sub-menu called Blue Only Mode. Turn it on and only the Blue signal is displayed. If you feed the TV a Color Bar test pattern, you can adjust your basic settings without the need of a blue filter.

For most TV owners, making these basic adjustments will yield a totally satisfactory image. Actually, with the PN50A760, the picture quality is magnificent.

If you are a videophile or you simply must tweak, the Detailed Settings sub-menu supplies all the tools required to keep your remote thumb twitching. I suggest that if you decide to explore controls like Color Space and White Balance, that you make notes of the basic changes that you have already made. If you venture too deeply and the color goes catty whompus and you need to resort to clicking Picture Reset, you can quickly re-establish your settings.

A few other notes on setup. First, if you like the idea of selecting the Movie mode, but it's just a bit too warm for you, I found that if you change the Color Tone default from Warm2 to Warm1, it makes a noticeable cooling difference.

Let me add a comment from Mike Wood, "The Movie mode is geared towards providing the most accurate image. The Warm 2 color tone is calibrated to be closest to D6500, the most accurate color temp."

Not to confuse you, but the Samsung designers have added a feature called Entertainment mode, which you access by hitting the E.Mode button on the remote control. The manual states, "The Entertainment mode enables you to select the optimal display and sound for sports, cinema and games."

When you pick one of the three options, Sports, Cinema or Game, the picture controls lock in to default settings that cannot be altered.

How this Cinema mode differs from the Movie default is not clear. Sport seems to be somewhere between Dynamic and Standard. Game is described as "This mode accelerates the playing speed when using an external game console connected to the TV."

Finally, I believe that you, yourself, can tune this TV to quite pleasing levels with a few simple adjustments. But if you hire a professional calibrator, he or she can create specific day-time and night-time viewing modes to ensure optimal picture quality in any setting.

I could shower you with technologies with impressive names like next-generation DNIe Pro video processing and 18-bit Natural True Color. And I could astound you with statistics like a 1,000,000:1 dynamic Full On/Off contrast measures the ratio of the light output of an all white image (full on) and the light output of an all black (full off) image. 2) ANSI contrast is measured with a pattern of 16 alternating black and white rectangles. The average light output from the white rectangles is divided by the average light output of the black rectangles to determine the ANSI contrast ratio. When comparing the contrast ratio of video devices make sure you are comparing the same type of contrast. Full On/Off contrast will always be a larger number than ANSI contrast for the same video device." class=gloss>contrast ratio - yes, one million.

But the long and the short of it is that the Samsung PN50A760 delivers a perfectly lovely image - picture quality that will make plasmas around the world heave their chests in pride. When watching this HDTV, I occasionally catch myself quietly exalting, "Damn, that's good looking."

This is the sort of TV that high definition DVDs want to date. The HD DVD of Casablanca was B & W sublimeness. The Blu-ray of Speed Racer was Technicolor dazzlement. Need I gush more?

I connected my laptop to the TV with a VGA cable. Since the PN50A760 has an Ethernet connection, most people will never need to use the VGA port, but I figured I might as well try it. I was able to set the video card to output 1920 x 1080. The results were great and made me want to clear my desk so I could fit a 50" plasma computer monitor on it.

The audio quality of the pair of integrated speakers was good, but no match to the video. This plasma really deserves a dedicated 5.1 surround system.

I don't mean to dismiss the sound out of hand. For everyday use, it suffices. The Equalizer and the SRS Surround features allow you to adjust and expand its scope. But, the PN50A760 can serve as a dynamite centerpiece for a home theater and you should complement it with an equally robust audio system.

Combining superlative picture quality with an exhaustive feature package, the Samsung PN50A760 rises above its competition and earns our Editor's Choice Award.

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