Pioneer Elite Kuro PRO-111FD

The good: Produces the deepest black levels of any large-screen display we've tested; extremely accurate color points and color temperature; superb antireflective screen; 72Hz refresh mode works well with 1080p/24 sources; Pure picture mode delivers superior settings out of the box; extensive picture controls; excellent connectivity, including 4 HDMI and one PC input; styling that's all business.

The bad: Extremely expensive; mediocre standard-definition processing.

The bottom line: The Pioneer Elite PRO-111FD represents the pinnacle of flat-panel HDTV picture quality.

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Description: The Pioneer Elite Kuro PRO-111FD is a 50-inch, plasma television. Compared to other plasma TVs on the market, it is expensive at around $4,240. In general, a liquid plasma display can provide more realistic black-levels than an LCD display can.

Pros: Only has RJ-45, 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15), 4 pin USB type A, 4 pin mini-DIN, RCA phono x 3, and 19 pin HDMI type A connector type, which is considerably more favorable than some similarly priced TVs. With built-in HDTV compatibility, this TV set can display images that are significantly sharper and more realistic than regular television, as long as the source is high definition. (It can easily render standard-resolution digital TV broadcasts and also depict the full resolution of widescreen DVD video.) The 3:2 pulldown feature of this unit reduces artifacts that can occur when motion pictures are transferred to a digital format such as DVD.

Cons: Has only a 50-inch screen size, which is smaller than some similarly priced TVs. For example, the Samsung FP-T6374X , at around $4, 560, has a 63-inch screen size.

Suitability: Suited for those who are looking for a stylish, compact TV.

Value: Overall, this TV's price seems a bit steep, with respect to its features.

Suggestions: (1) For assistance in shopping for a new HDTV, read CNET editors' <ref type="link" url="http://cnet.com/hdtv-world/?tag=arw">Ultimate HDTV Buying Guide. </ref> (2) If donating or repurposing your old TV is not a viable option, CNET encourages households to recycle their electronics. Please explore the following website to find a recycling center in your area Electronics Take Back Coalition .