CNET’s David Katzmaier recently reviewed the Panasonic TH-50VX100U 50-inch Plasma and gave it a rating of 8.4 out of 10 (or 4 out of 5 stars). This set is an HDTV monitor marketed by Panasonic’s professional division. It lacks a tuner, speakers, and other extras found on most consumer HDTVs. CNET noted that it was “one of the best-performing televisions we’ve ever reviewed, delivering a picture that approaches that of the current picture quality champion, Pioneer’s Kuro Elite.”

The list price for the TH-50VX100U is $4,995. There is also a 65-inch version of the set, the TH-65VX100U, that goes for $9,995.

CNET found the black levels of the set to be superb, producing excellent shadow detail. They also liked that it handles 1080p/24 sources proerly, and that it has an external scalar mode that can disable all video processing. The set also offers a large range of picture adjustments.

The didn’t like the expensive price tag, inaccurate reproduction of colors, and the scarcity of inputs, with only one component input and no standard def input.

Links:

Official Panasonic page for the Panasonic TH-50VX100U

CNET Review of the Panasonic TG-50VX100U

K-Mart’s Thanksgiving Day 2008 deals have just been released. They will be good for Thursday, November 27, 2008, which is the day before Black Friday. Here are all the HDTV-related deals. A star means we find the deal interesting. Check out the Sony Blu-ray player for only $180!

• Sony Blu-ray BDP-S350 Disc Player $179.99 (Ed. One of the better quality Blu-ray players. See a video review below.)
• Element 32″ LCD HDTV $399.99
• Memorex 26″ LCD HDTV/DVD Combo $399.99
• Samsung 42″ PN42A400 720p Plasma HDTV $699.99

The Sony BDP-S350 Blu-ray player received a 7.0 out of 10 rating from CNET (link), who said it delivers a superb Blu-ray picture as well as very good DVD upscaling.

Link to scanned copy of K-Mart’s Black Friday ad.

Via BlackFriday.info.

If you’re looking for the best HD picture out there, you might be interested in Pioneer’s latest challenge for king of the HD hill, the Pioneer Elite Kuro Pro-111FD ($3,500). Gary Merson, aka the HD Guru, has given the set a thorough technical review.

Gary compared the 2008 Pioneer Kuro Elite with another “best HDTV evar”, the Panasonic TH-PZ850U. According to Gary, the Pioneer Kuro Elite has the darkest blacks he’s seen yet, too dark to even measure with his instrumentation. Does that sound ridiculous to you? Overall, Gary says the 2008 Kuro pretty much wipes up the floor with the Panasonic. Check out his review over at HDGuru.com.

Link:

The HD Guru reviews the 2008 Pioneer Elite Kuro Pro-11FD 1080p plasma.

Almost all LCD owners will notice some degree of clouding effect on their HDTVs during dark or completely black scenes. What is the clouding effect? It’s a varying degree of brightness visible across the screen. HDTV reviewers tend to describe the clouding effect as “poor screen uniformity.” It can be caused by different sources, most often from uneven backlighting or flaws in the LCD’s matrix of thin-film transistors. Clouding is most noticeable when a single dark color is shown on the screen, eg, black or dark blue. Other terms for the effect are backlight bleed, flashlight effect, cloud effect, and mura or the mura effect. Mura is a Japanese word meaning an unevenness, blemish, or inconsistency. The clouding effect is generally limited to LCDs because plasmas have a different back light technology.

One way to combat this effect is to avoid watching your television in completely dark rooms. Turn on a lamp with a low light setting to keep a small amount of ambient light in the room. Some LCD manufacters offer ambient light built in to their television, most notably Philips Ambilight.

720p plasmas have always been a smart bargain. So, the second best deal might be the 42″ Panasonic TH-42PX75U for $900 at Best Buy. CNET hasn’t reviewed this set, but they did review its close cousin, the TH-42PX77U, which got a great review. Panasonic plasmas review very well in general.

I got a second look at the GV47LF in action. This time they had a much better HDTV source running into the TV, and it looked really good. I would have bought it on the spot except I don’t have a car. I’m trying to get my buddy to help me haul it home. I asked at the help desk if Costco would deliver the TV to my apartment, and the young woman said local warehouses don’t deliver, but if I bought online and had it shipped, I’d get cheaper sales tax than Chicago’s 9%, and that would help make up the difference. So, I went home and did the math. Nope, no deal. Online is $150 in shipping and $109 in sales tax ($260 total) versus just $150 in sales tax at the store. Bad information.

I recommend checking out the first paragraph of David Katzmaier’s review of the Vizio VP50HDTV. He answers a question that I’ve had for a long time. For people who purchase bargain HDTVs, are they generally happy with the purchase? Yes, they are. That is a very satisfying answer for someone looking to invest in one of these TVs.