Best 50″ Plasma TVs from 2008
Models
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Pioneer Elite PRO-111FD - Best of the Best
If you’re not limited by a budget and you want the best plasma TV money can buy, Pioneer Kuro PRO-111FD is the absolute best. Its deep black levels and accurate colors cannot be contested. Noting comes close to this TV! It has a full array of picture controls but you are unlikely to use them as the PRO 111FD has perfect picture out of the box.
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Pioneer Kuro PDP-5020FD - Exceptional Picture
Targeted at those that can’t afford the Pioneer Kuro Elite PRO-111FD, the “regular” 50 inch Kuro is nothing short of spectacular either. It has deep blacks and the picture is awesome. The bad part is the colors are not perfectly accurate, and the even worse part is you can’t correct that as this plasma TV doesn’t have advanced picture controls (e.g. color temperature). Even with these drawbacks, the overall picture quality is exceptional and only the absolute purists will have a problem with its inaccurate colors. Find out more in Pioneer Kuro PDP-5020FD Review.
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Panasonic TH-50PZ850U - Many Features
Though its black levels don’t match those of pioneer, the TH-50PZ850U offers very good quality. This 50 inch plasma TV will not win the battle through picture quality but through features. The slightly cheaper TH-50PZ800U has more accurate colors, however the TH-50PZ850U comes with Viera Cast and a few other features that you might find useful. Find out more in Panasonic TH-50PZ850U Review.
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Panasonic TH-50PZ800U - Highly Accurate Colors
Compared to the above TH-50PZ850U, the slightly cheaper Panasonic TH-50PZ800U has perfectly accurate colors. It lacks the extra features as Viera Cast and support for Internet services and because of that it’s cheaper. Though its colors are more accurate than those of Pioneer PDP-5020FD, overall the picture is not as impressive. Taking the price into consideration however, this TV is one of the most popular as it offers superb picture and comes at a great price. Find out more in Panasonic TH-50PZ800U Review.
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Samsung PN50A650 - The Cheaper Alternative
Samsung PN50A650 is another plasma TV you have to consider when looking for the best. Its black levels don’t mach those of Panasonic or Pioneer but has accurate colors and overall it offers a great picture quality. As opposed to all the other models out there, it also has a very distinctive feature - its frame has a redish color. If this is good or bad, you will have to decide yourself. Find out more in Samsung PN50A650 Review.
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Panasonic TH-50PZ80U and TH-50PZ85U - Good Value
These are two very similar TVs. If you look at the specifications of both, you will notice a few differences as the presence of a VGA port and a higher contrast on TH-50PZ85U. In practice, the higher contrast can be achieved by enabling CATS mode, which you shouldn’t if you want accurate colors, and the VGA port has a limited resolution. So, as I said, the differences are few and of little importance. Normally TH-50PZ85U should be more expensive than the TH-50PZ80U, but depending on which of them sells better, it might be the other way around.
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Panasonic TH-50PX80U - Best Cheap Plasma TV
If you want good quality but you have a very tight budget, the TH-50PX80U is probably your best choice. This is a 720p plasma TV as opposed to the others, and that’s the main reason you can buy it for less. If for your room size 720p is enough, you’ve got yourself a winner. If you are interested in quality, I recommend you not to go cheaper than this.
For an overview of all models listed here, as well as a high-level comparison between them, read the post on Best Plasma TVs of 2008.
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