The HDTV market is holding well in spite of intense economic pressure. Samsung LCD HDTVs continue their reign as the most popular and best selling HDTVs, although the excellent Panasonic G25 Series plasma HDTVs hold their own. Sony continues to stuggle to grab market share from rival Samsung, but the well received—and pricey—52XBR9 is finding favor with some HDTV aficionados. We're partial to the Panasonic G25 plasmas, but don't knock anyone for their preference of the new generation Samsung LCDs. To be fair the gap between plasma and LCD is very narrow and we'd be thrilled to have any of these top-selling sets in our living room.
Here's our picks for the best-of-the-best in the current market:
Stunning Sony XBR7 XBR8 XBR9 HDTV Redefine HDTV Quality
New Technologies Deliver Exceptional Color Reproduction and Black Levels Sony introduced seven new BRAVIA® XBR flat-panel LCD high-definition televisions including models with TRILUMINOS® LED backlight and local dimming for outstanding black-level reproduction and unmatched contrast. The new models expand the BRAVIA LCD line up to 30 models ranging in screen size from 19 to 70 inches measured diagonally.
The XBR models represent Sony's premium line, delivering the latest features and the pinnacle of picture quality. "Critics consistently praise BRAVIA as the best HDTVs on the market, and the XBR badge indicates the best of the best," said Jeff Goldstein, vice president of marketing for Sony Electronics' television marketing group. "Consumers can now experience the quality of BRAVIA from small-sized models all the way up through our premium big screen XBR series."
Great Deal on Top Rated Panasonic G10 Series Plasma
Panasonic Viera TC-P42G10 42-inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
Top Rated 42-inch Plasma HDTV Awesome Price!
The Panasonic
TC-P42G10
1080p Plasma HDTV is the top choice. Don't overlook this value-priced set. Excellent picture quality on all program types: HD, SD and DVDs. The TC-P42G10's colors are very accurate, and contrast is excellent, giving images depth and dimension. Black levels very good, second to only the Pioneer KUROs (at a much lower price!). Very good reproduction of scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas. Excellent high-definition film-mode operation effectively eliminates jagged edges on movie content. A special anti-glare coating minimizes the reflections that often plague plasma screens.
The excellent TC-P42G10 is a Best Buy as well, offered at a very competitive price. This top rated set is a fantastic value. Over 93% five star ratings at Amazon.com. The 46-inch and 50-inch G10s are equally impressive and are similarly value-priced.
The 2010 LCD HDTV roll out is underway and we like it. Deeper blacks, higher refresh rates, and motion blur reduction, previously expensive adders, are standard features in many new 2010 sets. Here are a few that offer outstanding picture quality at reasonable cost: