Best Plasma TV

Yeah that's right! If you want to get the best plasma TV for the buck you have to put your bone to work and read a bit so you know what you are buying and avoid being fooled by the nice ads, big catchy titles or not-so-useful specs. If you don't do this and jump head first into buying it, you will likely not be disappointed but you will not get the best thing either. Most plasma TV models that you can find on the market are pretty good. Also the difference between your old "tube" and a HDTV is huge so it is likely that you will be impressed. However doing some research and knowing a great deal about plasma TVs, HDTV, Home Theater and what all those numbers and abbreviations in the specifications mean, you will certainly make the best possible buying decision.

The first step in getting the best plasma TV is to figure out what you want or need. Learn what plasma TV size is recommended for you based on the distance you intend to sit from it. If for some reason you are forced to buy a certain size - maybe you have limited room to install it - you can also find out what is the optimal viewing distance for it.

But is a plasma TV the best HDTV for your needs? Maybe an LCD TV is better. Do you know the differences between them? I mean the real life differences, the ones that matter not just the techy aspect. Do you want to use your TV as a computer monitor or do you want play games all day long on it? Or maybe you are a sports fan and you watch a lot of sports that have high speed scenes. Also important, is how much light you have in your room. There are many things that differ between plasma and LCD TVs and knowing these differences is important because it can be the difference between buying an OK TV or the best TV. As I said, making the right decision is the most important part of buying the best plasma TV. The specific plasma TV models and their specifications come second.

From there figure out if a Full-HD 1080p plasma TV is really worth the extra money. If you sit too far from it you might not notice the difference anyway. Not to mention the case in which you won't even watch 1080p content on it (which right now is limited to just Blue Ray and HD DVD players). The only high definition broadcast resolutions in use today are 720p and 1080i (which is not the same as 1080p). If you want to really understand TV and HDTV resolutions in-depth the link in the list below will take you to a great guide about this subject. I recommend you to read it all.

Those things are probably the most important ones when it comes to becoming literate about plasma TVs and high definition (HD) TVs generally. But if you really want to be entirely on top of this acquisition you can go even further. Find out what the specifications really mean. After reading the size and optimal viewing distance guide you should know what TV size you need and the same with resolution. Find out what contrast is, how your perception of it is affected by ambient light. Find out how much true or marketing bul**it is in that number. Each manufacturer has it's own way to measure contrast ratio and some present it as "dynamic contrast" so learn what is the difference. Also learn about "anti-glare" or "anti-reflective" coating to understand how they can improve your viewing experience in a room with a lot of light. Learn what every single feature means and figure out how important it is for your particular case.

No we are not finished yet :P. Do you want just a plasma TV or you want to setup a home cinema system? Do you want to also buy a high definition DVD player (Blue Ray, HD DVD or both)? What about a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) because some plasma TVs have integrated DVRs so you might be better with that approach. What other equipment do you need/want? If you want to setup a home cinema system figure out everything you need and keep in mind when you are shopping to look for compatible connectors. You could use adapters but that is not "best" anymore.

Finally, do a bit of research on the specific plasma TV models and manufacturers. Check out consumer ratings and good reviews. I am going to help you even more here because I already did a lot of research on the subject of which are the best plasma TVs. You might find on some sites a Top 10 list with various models. Make sure they are indeed top rated TVs in terms of quality not just Top 10 bestselling because there is a difference. The top of best plasma TV models at the bottom of this page is the real deal. It is not just a listing of the best models but it is a listing grouped by different criteria and it is more likely to be of actual help for you because it gives you a choice.

Best Plasma TV in the World

The Pioneer Elite Kuro plasma TV models are the absolute best you can get. They are the best HDTVs in the world at this moment. They are better than any other plasma TV models and than any other LCD TV. But quality comes at a price. Expect to pull out of your pocket a large sum of money to buy one of these. Also you will have a hard time finding the larger models, especially the 60 inch one because due to the very high price tag most stores don't bother to sell it - not many people would buy it.

• Pioneer Elite KURO PRO-950HD (42 inch, 720p)


• Pioneer Elite KURO PRO-1150HD (50 inch 720p)


• Pioneer Elite KURO PRO-110FD (50 inch, 1080p)


• Pioneer Elite KURO PRO-150FD (60 inch, 1080p)

Best Plasma TV on the Market

Pioneer makes the best plasma TV models. After the Elite models, their standard Kuro plasma TVs come next in terms of picture quality. They have a more accesible price and they are also more available in stores (both online and offline). They have a superb picture, great black levels and colors so you can't go wrong buying one of them. The price is still higher than the one of other brands but it is much more accessible than the one of Elite models.

• Pioneer KURO PDP-4280HD (42 inch, 720p)


• Pioneer KURO PDP-5080HD (50 inch, 720p)


• Pioneer KURO PDP-5010FD (50 inch, 1080p)


• Pioneer KURO PDP-6010FD (60 inch, 1080p)

Best Plasma TV for the Money

If you can live without the absolute best, Panasonic has some great models. Their models offer a picture quality that comes close to Pioneer Kuro and they are cheaper. These are the plasma TV models that offer the best price to quality ratio. For most people they are probably the best choice and because of this they are some of the best sold plasma TVs. Oh, and don't think that because the 42 and 50 inch ones come at "only" 720p doesn't mean they can't surpass other 1080p models. Resolution is less important than other factors when it comes to picture quality.

• Panasonic TH-42PZ700U (42 inch, 1080p)


• Panasonic TH-50PZ700U (50 inch, 1080p)


• Panasonic TH-58PZ750U (58 inch, 1080p)


• Panasonic TH-65PZ750U (65 inch, 1080p)

Best Cheap Plasma TV

If you are on a tight budget, Vizio plasma TVs are the way to go. While the picture quality doesn't come close to that of Panasonic and Pioneer models above, it is decent and they will still give you HDTV experience for a fraction of the price you would have to pay on a Pioneer or Panasonic. Also Vizio is the way to go if you want a very large HDTV without spending a lot of money. Their 60 inch Vizio VM60P is pretty accessible compared to similar size models from other brands.

• Vizio VP50 (50 inch)


• Vizio JV50P "Jive" (50 inch, All-In-One Home Theater)


• Vizio VM60P (60 inch)