Panasonic Viera TH-58PZ750U

The good: Produces a deep level of black; highly accurate initial color temperature; clean, sharp image; numerous picture controls; sleek design.

The bad: Relatively expensive; some color inaccuracies and minor false contouring; less-effective glare-reducing screen.

The bottom line: Although we were impressed by the picture quality of the Panasonic TH-58PZ700U 58-inch plasma HDTV, we prefer the value proposition of its step-down sibling.

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Description: The Panasonic Viera TH-58PZ750U is a 58-inch, plasma television. Compared to other plasma TVs on the market, it is expensive at around $3,620. In general, a liquid plasma display can provide more realistic black-levels than an LCD display can.

Pros: This TV can display images that are sharper and more realistic than analog television when hooked up to a high definition signal. 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: None noted, given available product data.

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

Value: In general, this TV's price seems a bit steep, with respect to its features. For example, when it comes to viewable screen size, the average price of plasma televisions with similar viewable size is quite a bit less -- in fact around $2,960.

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 .