Panasonic TH 58PX600U

Panasonic sells more of its plasma TVs than anybody else, so it stands to reason that the company has more plasma screen sizes than its many competitors. The 58-inch size, which no other plasma maker offers, is new for the company as of last year, and the TH-58PX600U is its highest-end 58-inch set. As a member of the step-up 600U line, this television offers a few more features and different styling compared with the basic 60U line, represented in the 58-inch size by the TH-58PX60U, and in case you're wondering, no, Panasonic doesn't currently make a 58-inch "professional" model like this. The TH-58PX600U became available in June 2006 and, according to Panasonic's CES 2007 announcement, will be replaced by the TH-58PX75U this spring and the 1080p TH-58PZ700U sometime this summer. In the meantime, however, it's available for a good deal less than its original $5,300 MSRP. Sure that's still a heck of a lot more than a similarly sized rear-projection HDTV, but if you have the room, the budget, and the need to go flat, it's an excellent choice among large-screen plasmas.

Design The smart-looking Panasonic TH-58PX600U is basically a 58-inch diagonal pane of glass surrounded by a black frame that's edged by silver. The silver strips of cabinet to the right and the left of the frame actually house ultrathin speakers, and the silver along the bottom conceals a pair of flip-up doors. One reveals an SD card slot and the other a set of control buttons and an A/V input. Panasonic's matching silver stand comes included in the price of the set.