Best Plasma TVs of 2008

1080p Plasma TVs as a Standard

While in the past years, 1080p plasma TVs ware an option you had over 720p models, this year they have become the standard. With the exception of a few lower-end Panasonic plasma TVs, all the models you can find on the market in 2008 have 1080p displays. Even the 720p models, though available on the market are not models from this year but older.

One other noteworthy observation is that the trend seems to go towards larger plasma TVs. Pioneer launched only 50 inch and 60 inch models in 2008, while Panasonic is the only manufacturer who has high-end plasma TVs in the 42 and 46 inch size.

Preview of 2008 Best Plasma TVs

Pioneer Kuro and Elite – They ware the best, now they got better

For quite a while now, Pioneer Kuro plasma TV models have been considered to be the best in the world. They have set the bar in terms of quality and because of that they have always been more expensive.

This year’s Pioneer Kuro and Pioneer Kuro Elite lines follow the same pattern. The new Elite models are built around the same Kuro panels as the "regular" models. As a matter of fact the panels themselves are the same as the ones in the old generation. What changed was the video processing. This makes things even more impressing when you take into consideration the achievements. Though the old panels ware offering the deepest black levels found in plasma TVs, Pioneer didn’t stopped there and made the black levels 5 times deeper. I haven’t really measured them and I tend not to get carried away when reading press releases and product specs, but the thing is the new Kuro panels are absolutely amazing. Of course if you want to get the best from these deep black levels you will have to use the plasma TV where it shines – in dim light.

As it was the case with the old Elite models, the new ones also differentiate themselves from the regular Kuro line through their "premium" features. This keeps their price quite high and recommends them more to the serious home theater enthusiast that has a fat wallet rather than to the average consumer. The prices as announced by Pioneer are $1000 higher for the Elite models.

The regular Kuro line for 2008 consists of two models – one in the 50 inch size class and one 60 inch model. In contrast to last year Kuro line, Pioneer now offers only 1080p plasma TVs.

Pioneer Kuro models maintain their better black levels over other plasma TV brands and offer superb picture quality, though the "regular" Kuros have some slight issues with color accuracy. If they would give the user the possibility to adjust the color temperature this might not be a problem, however the "regular" Kuro models don’t give you this option. Nevertheless Pioneer Kuro PDP-5020FD and PDP-6020FD maintain their position at the top, though Panasonic top of the line models come extremely close in terms of overall quality this year. Aside from superb picture quality, one other aspect where Pioneer models really shine is how they handle ambient light. They (including Elite) have the best anti-glare (anti-reflective) screen from all plasma TVs so if you have a well lit room you don’t have to worry about it.

For a more detailed understanding of Pioneer Kuro models from 2008 check out the Pioneer Kuro PDP-5020FD Review.

Pioneer Kuro Elite – The Best HDTV Money Can Buy

The new Elite line is comprised of two TVs and two monitors. The monitors come without speakers and tuner but have serious connectivity options to integrate them however you want in your home theater system.

While at the first look, the most significant difference between Elite models and regular Kuro plasma TVs consists of the extra features and calibration options, the situation is more extreme. In practice, the difference in picture quality between Pioneer Elite models and regular Kuros – or any other plasma TV brand – is a big one. This year, Pioneer Elite plasma TVs raise the bar again. They offer absolutely outstanding picture quality, significantly better than any other HDTV on the market. They are so good that, without taking price into consideration, we choose them as the best plasma TVs of 2008. They have the full array of control options and frankly that is useless because the Pure mode gives perfect picture out of the box.

Panasonic – The Popular Choice

Panasonic is without doubt the most popular plasma TV brand. There are two reason for this popularity. First, they come in a price range that makes them accessible to the average consumer, while offering great picture quality. Second reason is that Panasonic gives us an extensive choice when it comes to screen size. The sizes you can pick from are 42, 46, 50, 58, 65 inch. They have both some of the smallest plasma TV and also the largest one.

Panasonic PZ850U and PZ800U

Both lines are very similar when it comes to picture quality. PZ800U has a THX picture mode which gives it great color accuracy. PZ850U, though a step-up version, lacks THX but in real life it offers similar quality. The main difference between the two lines is the presence of Viera Cast in PZ850U, as well as color temperature and gamma controls. The PZ850U is more expensive, and Viera Cast doesn’t quite motivate the extra money if you ask me. If you have a computer you can achieve the same (and more) with a PZ800U model.

Panasonic PZ80U, PZ85U and PX80U

The lower-end models from Panasonic are very good too. Though I say "lower-end" you should not make the mistake of thinking that these plasma TVs aren’t very good. Considering their prices, they offer exceptional picture quality.

PX80U Models are the 720p plasma TV models from Panasonic. If you have a really tight budget and 1080p doesn’t give you much detail over 720p (and it probably doesn’t) considering your viewing distance, you will certainly consider them when shopping for a plasma TV. They are only available in 42 and 50 inch sizes, the specific models being Panasonic TH-42PX80U and Panasonic TH-50PX80U.

Panasonic PZ80U and PZ85U product lines are the step-down versions of PZ800U, respectively PZ850U. They have 1080p displays as opposed to PX80U models. Also they are not available in large sizes. As you may have guessed they are cheaper than their step-up versions, with PX80U being the least expensive (since it is 720p).

Samsung A650 and A550

Samsung comes with improvements. Not enough to catch Panasonic or Pioneer though. They are however plasma TV that you should take into consideration because they offer superior quality compared to models from other manufacturers. One thing I must point out right from the start is that A650 models come only with that red touch of color. While it certainly makes Samsung plasma TVs stand out, it might not be the best choice for everybody when it comes to room design.

The A550 line, as well as the newer A650, offers very good color accuracy and a lot of features and picture controls. The biggest problem of A550 models is their anti-reflective coating, which is less effective than the one found in Panasonic and especially Pioneer models. If you plan to use your plasma TV in a room with a lot of light, especially direct sunlight coming through the windows, you should think well before buying one of these models because you will get some glare and experience overall shadow detail loss in bright light.

The A650 line offers the same good quality as A550 but in turn brings a few improvements to the table. The anti-glare coating is better (though still not a match for Panasonic or Pioneer) and it also has one extra HDMI connector on the rear panel (4 in total as opposed to 3 in A550 models).

A Quick Comparison of All Models

Pioneer Kuro Elite is without doubt the best plasma TV on the market at this point. It has the deepest black levels, perfect colors, exceptional video processing, and other than it’s high price there’s nothing wrong you can find at it.

The regular Pioneer Kuro models have also exceptional black levels (probably identical to Elite models) and video processing but the colors are not perfect. However do not think for a moment that you will see by yourself a problem with those colors because unless you watch them side by side you won’t. It also lacks the extra controls and features you find in Elite models.

All Pioneer models have the best anti-glare coating you can find in a plasma TV. It is so good that you can watch TV in a well lit room without having any reflections disturbing you.

Panasonic higher-end models are very close in terms of quality to the "regular" Pioneer Kuro models. They even have better color accuracy though unless you look at Pioneer and Panasonic side by side you won’t realize the difference. They don’t have Picture in Picture (PIP). The anti glare coating is very good. Not as good as the one found in Pioneer models but still, superior to anything else. They don’t handle 1080p/24 content very well. All Panasonic models have very good black levels and even though they are not the absolute best they are superior to any other brand.

Samsung, leaving the poor anti-glare screen aside, also offers overall very good quality. Black levels are visibly under those of Panasonic and far from Pioneer’s but colors and video processing is very good.

Price is a Decisive Factor

Prices vary a lot across these top rated models. Most of you have a budget to work with and I am sure that will affect your choice. What you must understand is that, while some models are better (and more expensive) than others, they are all great. Unless you have them all side by side it is hard to notice differences between models in the same class. For the average user, any choice is right. If you are more of an enthusiast and purist, I am sure you will read reviews and research online for a month or more before buying. If you have a serious budget to work with you will probably go all the way and buy a Pioneer Elite, it is after all the best.

Some of you might ask yourself, or might want to ask me, which is the best. Or is model X better than Y. I don’t have the answers to those questions. You must answer yourself if certain features are more useful to you than others and if you’re willing to spend extra on some of them. Make sure you know all the important stuff before shopping for a plasma TV – from picking the optimal plasma TV size to analyzing your viewing habits and determining what features are most important.

I hope the list of the best plasma TVs and this overview will be useful to you and help you buy the best plasma TV. Please take the time to comment below and let me know if it was useful and any other thoughts you may have.

Listing of Best Plasma TVs

NOTE: Links point to Amazon.com pages of each product in case you want to buy. Pages open in a new window.