Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ850U

The good: Reproduces deep black levels; relatively accurate color temperature and color decoding; excellent uniformity with little false contouring; relatively effective antireflective screen; can access YouTube videos, Picasa online photo sharing and other interactive features via Ethernet port; solid connectivity with four HDMI and one PC input; handsome styling with single-pane design.

The bad: Expensive; less accurate primary and secondary colors; blacks not quite as deep as some plasmas; optional 24p mode introduces flicker.

The bottom line: The Panasonic TH-50PZ850U's color accuracy issues prevent it from topping the high-end plasma TV heap, but excellent picture quality and unique interactive features maintain its appeal.

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Description: The Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ850U is a 50-inch, plasma television. Compared to other plasma TVs on the market, it is midpriced at around $2,490. In general, a liquid plasma display can provide more realistic black-levels than an LCD display can.

Pros: This set can display images that are sharper and more realistic than standard definition television when mated to a high definition signal. The 3:2 pulldown feature of this TV reduces artifacts that can occur when motion pictures are transferred to a digital format such as DVD.

Cons: None noted, given available product data.

Suitability: A plasma TV, suited for home entertainment.

Value: In general, this TV's features are in line with its price. However, plasma TVs with comparable viewable size have an average cost of about $2,025.

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 .