Samsung HPT5064 - $1427-$2700 The picture quality of the Samsung HP-T5064 places it among the top tier of 50-inch plasma HDTVs.
Editors' Note 04/17/2008: The rating on this review has been modified from 8.0 to 7.6 due to changes in the competitive marketplace.
While Samsung seems to devote more marketing dollars and advertising hype to its line of flat-panel LCD TVs, the company also produces flat-panel plasmas. They might not look as appealing when turned off or when reduced to a spec sheet, but the HP-T64 series of Samsung plasmas, the company's second-highest-end line, definitely holds its own where it counts. The 50-inch HP-T5064 is a great example, and in many ways its picture quality outclasses that of the Panasonic TH-50PX77U, its direct competition. It has similar black level performance and superior color accuracy compared to the Panasonic, but its glare-reducing screen isn't nearly as effective. Taken as a whole, however, the Samsung HP-T5064 is finally a worthy competitor against the Alpha-caliber Panasonics and Pioneers of the plasma dog pile.
