Our Favourite
As the successor to the best plasma of 2010 (the Panasonic TC-PVT25), the new THX-certified VT30 series gets bigger (growing to 55 and 65 inches), promises even more sinister black levels and comes with the ability to perfectly reproduce the cadence of 1080p/24 sources. Maybe. We won’t know till we try it ourselves. We’re just happy the company finally managed to gussy up the exterior – cutting some fat from the bezel and adding a classy sliver lining. If you want a truly fantastic 3D (or 2D) HDTV this year, this looks to be the set to beat.
Runners Up
Samsung LED D-8000 Series Equipped with improved local LED dimming to boost and 3D performance (less cross-talk and ghosting) and a sleek touchscreen remote, the D-8000 Series is as gorgeous as ever. There’s even a plasma version.
Honourable Mention
Panasonic Viera GT30 Series
LG Infinia PZ950 Series
Vizio XVT3D0CM Series
matt
Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 2:59 PMthose Panasonic tvs are awesome, and so cheap! I bought my LCD sony X series a few years ago, but you would be hard pressed to pull me away from picking the Panasonic plasmas now. almost been tempted to sell the sony and get one in fact. not that the sony hasn’t been AWESOME!
I also tried out the sony 3D tv today, I was pleasantly surprised. it was a bit flickery, but there was NO crossover between the image for each eye, which was a pleasant surprise considering its LCD. I will no longer disregard LCD for 3D now… having said that, ALL 3D tvs are too flickery at the moment. but if they could solve that, the quality is a lot better than at the movies.
Mark
Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 3:19 PMFavourite was a plasma? I want half of what your smoking!
Plasma is the oldest and worst flat panel TV tech available and yet you still hype it even after Pioneer did the inevitable.
Chad
Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 12:29 AMHave you even WATCHED a plasma recently? And a Panasonic one at that?
There is a reason they keep winning almost every single TV award on the planet. I am a tech journalist and know which TV I would pay money for. So do almost all my tech journo friends.
Ward Paterson
Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 9:50 AM@ Mark, what shitz are you smokin. Both LCD and Plasma have their place. LCD for crisp images, and Plasma for colour rich, deep blacks and smooth flowing images @ 600Hz.
Both are good technologies, albeit Plasma is old, but then so is LCD. However, given the choice between a 65″ LCD or 65″ Plasma though, I’d take the Plasma any day of the week and twice on Sundays.
matt
Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 11:13 PMits sad we live in a world where popularity is everything…
thats the only reason pioneer pulled out, they weren’t selling well.
LCD is generally the most practical (this includes price)
but if you can pay for it, lift it, put up with the energy bill, and put it in a dark room:
Plasma IS the best.
Stuart
Sunday, May 29, 2011 at 12:25 PM@Mark who works for Sony…
yes, plasma is old, 1964 in fact. Just after the invention of the optical laser and way after the invention of the microwave. The first LCD display was… 1964. LOL!!
I never get this anti plasma sentiment.
I own both LCD and Plasma… The plasma is in my lounge room for watching movies, the Full HD LCD is upstairs for my one year old son to watch sesame street. You can join him, you both wouldn’t notice the difference. :-P
@molika
Monday, October 3, 2011 at 5:23 PMI wonder where plasma HDTVs would have been today if Pioneer were still in the game. Love my last gen Kuro and would not replace it with anything out there today.