HDTV World > Choose an HDTV > Editors' Top HDTV picks

Pioneer PDP-5080HD
The Pioneer PDP-5080HD produces the deepest shade of black--and thus one of the best pictures--we've ever tested. 
The good: This 50-inch plasma TV displays an exceedingly deep shade of black with excellent shadow detail; clean image with little noise; "smooth" video-processing mode removes most judder; excellent antireflective screen; sleek, minimalist styling; removable speaker; superb connectivity with four HDMI inputs and one PC input; CableCard compatible with TV Guide EPG. 
The bad: Expensive; inaccurate primary color of green; no user-menu fine color temperature controls.


Sony KDL-46XBR4
Although not quite as impressive as the best plasmas, the 46-inch Sony KDL-46XBR4 outperforms any flat-panel LCD we've tested so far. 
The good: Excellent black-level performance for an LCD; accurate color; 120Hz processing smoothes judder in motion; fine screen uniformity and off-angle viewing for an LCD; numerous picture controls; solid connectivity with three HDMI inputs and one PC input; distinctive "floating glass" design; interchangeable bezel color option. 
The bad: Expensive; benefits of 120Hz blur-reduction hard to discern; smooth motion seems unnatural for film-based material and introduces some artifacts; main menu system kludgy to operate; many picture adjustments seem unnecessary and/or harmful.


Vizio VP42HDTV
The low-buck, high-value Vizio VP42HDTV deftly avoids most of the picture-quality pitfalls of inexpensive plasmas. 
The good: Inexpensive; relatively accurate color; solid standard-def performance; clean image with little false contouring; user-menu fine color temperature controls; connectivity includes two HDMI and one PC input; unobtrusive two-tone styling. 
The bad: Below-average shadow detail; color tends toward red in darker areas; nondefeatable edge enhancement; emits faint buzzing sound.


Westinghouse TX-47F430S
Despite its lighter black levels, the Westinghouse TX-47F430S 1080p LCD wide-screen television produces an otherwise solid picture for a very good price. 
The good: Relatively inexpensive; excellent connectivity, including four HDMI inputs and one PC input; solid range of picture controls, including fine color temperature settings; helpful menu system. 
The bad: Reproduces a light shade of black; subpar detail in shadows; uneven screen uniformity; no independent input memories for HDMI; clips detail in white areas; ho-hum all-gray styling.


Sony KDS-55A3000
The SXRD-based Sony KDS-55A3000 exhibited excellent color accuracy and stellar performance in general, making it the year's best performer in the rear-projection HDTV category. 
The good: Excellent overall color fidelity with superb color decoding and grayscale linearity, as well as best-in-class primary color accuracy; deep black levels with solid shadow detail; de-judder processing smooths out pans and camera movement; numerous picture controls; ample connectivity. 
The bad: De-judder processing can seem unnatural; improper de-interlacing of 1080i film-based material; labyrinthine menu design.


Sony VPL-VW200
Although it certainly costs more than most of the 1080p competition, the SXRD-based Sony VPL-VW200 delivers one of the best pictures of any projector we've tested. 
The good: This projector has exceptional color fidelity. It produces a deep shade of black with excellent shadow detail. It also has a superb feature package, including panel alignment and blacking, and it has solid connectivity. 
The bad: Expensive; some loss of resolution because of the scaler; MotionFlow dejudder processing creates artifacts and makes film look more like video; no horizontal lens shift.