Best Plasma TV

Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ85U

Significant technological advances have been made in the production of plasma TVs over the past couple of years, providing higher quality sets for the budget-conscious consumer. The Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ85U is no exception and is marketed as a true 1080p HDTV that is rich with features and an inexpensive price tag of around $1300. The true value in this unit lies in the fact it possesses almost all the same features that come standard with higher-end models. For example, the LG PC5DC has similar features to the Panasonic unit, but costs $300 more.

Similar models such as the Pioneer Kuro Pro 950HD cost as much as $2500 due to an excess of features that would not be necessary for the average consumer, such as the ability to connect to a home network or to watch multiple channels simultaneously. The affordable price of the TH-46PZ85U is made possible by Panasonic’s decision to cut out these advanced options and provide the customer with a quality TV that has only necessary features.

What's Good:

The Panasonic TH-46PZ85U rivals the higher end plasmas with superb black-level performance, which basically creates a higher image contrast and gives more vibrancy to the picture quality. The black level is one of the hardest obstacles for plasma TVs to overcome and brands like Sony perform poorly in this area. Technically, the TH-46PZ85U boasts an impressive contrast ratio of 30,000:1, compared to the average 20,000:1 ratio most plasma TV's feature.  In terms of value, the sharpness and quality of the picture is the biggest contributing factor to Panasonic’s overall worth.

Also in terms of picture, this unit provides some of the better support for standard-definition media. While not perfect, Panasonic has provided this feature more successfully than the competition. Keep in mind that standard-definition is difficult to achieve for most HDTVs.

What's Bad:

One of the main complaints the TH-46PZ85U receives concerns the brightness, meaning that the lights need to be dimmed in order to achieve full viewing quality. But unless you prefer to watch movies with bright lights on, this shouldn’t be an issue. 

Another downside to this unit is the lack of advanced controls. The ability to tweak factors such as color temperature and gamma control are missing and might annoy some consumers who want precise control over the picture

Why it's the Best:

While the Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ85U might not satiate the needs of an HD connoisseur like the Pioneer Kuro Pro 950HD, Panasonic provides a great product for the average consumer who is looking for exceptional picture quality and a modest price. The high image contrast is reason alone to purchase this unit as it surpasses the performance of similar TV's that are much more expensive.