Panasonic TH-50PX77U - $1549-$2800 Deep black levels and a new antiglare screen make the 50-inch TH-50PX77U one of the top choices among plasma HDTVs.
Editors' Note 04/17/2008: The rating on this review has been modified from 8.0 to 7.7 due to changes in the competitive marketplace.
In the 50-something-inch screen size, plasma still holds a price advantage over LCD, although that advantage is shrinking every day. And as LCD TVs deliver improving picture quality and boast higher native resolutions, plasmas have to compete in other areas. One new picture-quality front is the screen itself--many newer plasmas, such as the Panasonic TH-50PX77U, incorporate antiglare coatings on their glass screens. The idea is to attenuate room reflections, an area where LCD has traditionally trounced plasma. The TH-50PX77U does a solid job of cutting down glare, and the majority of its other picture-quality characteristics, especially its deep black levels, outdo most offerings from the LCD camp. If you've been holding out on plasma because you have a bright room, sets such as the TH-50PX77U might help change your mind.
