Once all the correct cables were attached it was time to test the performance. I pressed the power button on the remote control and quickly went through the initial set up. I have experienced in the past lengthy and painful initial sets ups; however this set up was extremely easy and required less than 2 minutes to complete.

The first test for the television was an action movie in high definition on one of the premium movie channels. It passed the test with flying colours; by delivering a wonderful picture and crisp surround sound quality audio.

The second test was an international football game on one of the non high definition channels.  The colour delivered was unbelievable and the sound continued to be impressive. The brilliant green grass and clear cheers from the crowd put me right in the middle of the action.

The final performance test for the television was the test of the gaming system. Again the Philips television passed with high marks. This remarkable product continued to obtain its picture and sound integrity.

The Philips (50PFP532D) television continues to perform and I continue to be pleased with the purchase I made 8 months ago. I own another higher priced plasma television by another manufacture and this product out performs it. The overall quality of the product is worth much more than its price tag.

My previous TV, inherited from a friend, had begun placing a green translucent blob over the faces of my favourite characters in Eastenders I am assuming this is its death song. Regardless, I’ve been lured by the call of plasma and HD and Freeview.

What I stumbled across in my research is the Panasonic TX-P37X10B 37-inch Widescreen HD Ready Plasma TV with Freeview.  It contains all the things I long for in its name alone. I have had excellent luck with Panasonic products in the past, even my first trusty stereo was a Panasonic tabletop. The speakers put a technophile friend’s Kenwood to shame. Currently, I own both a Panasonic DVD player and a Panasonic VHS player that are several years old and have always worked perfectly.

The object of my affections at this moment, the Panasonic TX-P37X10B 37-inch Widescreen HD Ready Plasma TV with Freeview, in spite of its intimidating title, is a perfect fit for me.  It’s part of the Panasonic Viera line which is known for its picture quality.

According to the manufacturer, it is equipped with 100hz technology which doubles the output frame rate, making moving images smoother for the human eye. As a plasma television, its pixel response time is .001 milliseconds (apparently that is perfect for gaming) and it displays vibrant natural colours because of its complex pixel structure. Add to these visual assets V-audio surround sound and you have a winner in viewing experience.

Pixels and sound systems, while important, are only part of the package for me. I have two questions that need to be answered before bringing anything that requires electricity into my house, how easy is it to use and will it withstand my life?  As I have kids and pets!

Am I bringing an electronic hothouse orchid into my living room that will take me hours to set up, re-set, plug in, program, etc? The answer to these questions with the Panasonic TX-P37X10B is no. All Panasonic Viera TV’s are protected by glass that is impact resistant up to four joules.  My daughter can get overly excited with her Wii and the TV will live to tell the tale. And, the Viera has only one remote that controls everything from the DVD to a camcorder, better than the 4 I had to use previously, all round this is an excellent TV.

LG50PQ3000

Among quality plasma and LCD TV manufacturers, a few brand names immediately emerge at the front of the pack, namely, JVC, LG, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sony, and Sharp (in no particular order). Top brand maker LG’s 50PQ3000 50-inch HD Ready Plasma TV with built-in Freeview has only been available since March 2009.

Even so, ratings on websites from sellers who have reviewed this advanced technology have been promising, as its sleek design, and high-tech digital Freeview features have readily won fans over. HDTV-ready, this plasma model comes equipped with HDMI capability (for digital video and audio connectivity), contrast ratio/dynamic contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1, SRS TruSurround XT technology, your standard analogue and digital tuners, audio timer and remote features, and 1365 x 768 resolution on a 50-inch screen. It has a life expectancy of 100,000 hours, and a price starting at about £650.

Comparative to its more progressive (and more expensive) counterpart, the widescreen TV, the 50PQ3000 has a standard screen viewing aspect ratio of 4:3, meaning that it is much like your standard, older and more square model in shape, but it makes up for ratio with clear, crisp 720p picture resolution, which is a progressive-scan format that delivers smoother images while the objects are in motion. Additionally, sound delivery is through two (2) 10-watt sound channels that deliver respectable stereo power for your listening pleasure. HDMI capability ensures adaptability for gaming, and video imaging and audio inputs.

Also, whereas LCD technology has high brightness, and no “burn-in” [of images into the screen], the 50PQ3000 has the wider viewing angle of the two options, and “burn-in” is only on the rare occasion where an image has been frozen for extended periods of time.

Overall, for the individual shopping to update his or her television technology, and preferring a 4:3 aspect ratio viewing (as opposed to the often distorted-looking widescreen viewing experience) on a large 50” screen with great resolution and high-quality stereo surround sound technology, the 50PQ3000 50-incl HD Ready Plasma is a price-value compared to 47” screen LCD HD widescreen, which often offer poor motion resolution and comparatively lower contrast ratios than plasmas.

The fifty inches of screen space allows you to completely immerse yourself in an aquatic underworld or just kick back and watch the football with friends. If you have young kids, their favourite characters become life size right before their eyes. This mammoth of a TV has the equipment that allows it to process and display high definition signals meaning you see a clearer, higher resolution picture.

This outstanding TV comes equipped with FilterBright Technology so that the resolution doesn’t go unnoticed when lights start glaring back off the screen. FilterBright blocks light reflection while boosting internal light to give you 50% more contrast brightness so you can watch scary films during the day.

Not only will your viewing experience be unhindered by poor picture quality and glare, but it will be skip free. This TV runs at the speed of 200 Hz where conventional TV’s only run at 50 Hz.  Because of this impeccable speed, Samsung put in something called Motion Plus. This ingenious asset creates and inserts extra frames between the existing frames resulting in a seamless action scene or ball game without any blurring.

If you are more of a doer than a watcher you need not worry, with Samsungs Series 4 DPD a whole new powerful network is available at your fingertips. Series 4 is equipped with 3 HDMI that allows you to hook up the latest game system to your TV and still see the highest resolution images out there. Not only that but this plasma TV incorporates 3D Image Display Technology. The awesome 3D effect will make you feel as though you are fighting right alongside your favourite characters.

Now there is one thing you are still worried about even with the stunning images and your own personal multimedia hub. What shows are you going to watch, well you don’t need to worry any longer because Samsung has included Freeview.

Freeview is a simple way to receive up to 30 free digital TV channels. There is no monthly fee or never-ending contract, just buy the TV and you get the 30 channels, free, for ever.

Forget the high ticket prices at the cinema. Instead, gather the family in your own home, and treat your eyes to the best picture quality a TV can offer.

This Kuro (the Japanese word for black) is the result of 10 years of research and development by Pioneer.  The company says its secret is the generation of deeper blacks, as much as 80 percent deeper than other systems. Whatever the cause, the result is breathtaking; on your screen magically appear the purest, richest colours in amazing detail. Reds and greens are especially vivid.

The original goal, according to Pioneer, was to devise a flat-screen TV with the best possible picture quality for film in order to appeal to movie lovers. They certainly have succeeded, as the experience of viewing a Hollywood production on the Kuro is the next best thing out there to the silver screen itself.

Actually, a portion of that credit may belong to the audio system, which includes a Bass Boost feature that enhances the sensation of being in a cinema with its rich audio texture and an effective noise-reduction system.

It’s the colours on the screen, however, that are the real triumph here. Pioneer says the Kuro system captures every hue between black and white that the human eye can distinguish. You will also love the impressive Intelligent Brightness control, which automatically adjusts screen brightness to ambient room lighting conditions, which are subject to change over time.

There are other reasons to applaud the Kuro, such as built-in USB capability to support viewing other digital images and photos from a memory stick or card reader.  That’s not to mention three HDMI inputs, flicker reduction, an energy-saver mode, and, of course, multi-screen options including picture-in-picture and split-screen views.  But these are just more icing on an already great cake.

All of these features make for a viewing experience second to none. Based on what we have seen, the Kuro should be called “black magic.” And once again, Pioneer continues to live up to its name as a technology trailblazer.

One of this television’s most impressive features is its long life expectancy. Its plasma panel is guaranteed to last at least 100,000 hours, which totals approximately 30 years of regular television viewing or 11 years of non-stop usage before the brightness of the display fades by half.

Thanks to the Panasonic’s unique panel production process, the picture contrast is also phenomenal. Panasonic’s Real Black system produces crisp blacks with superb contrast. This means that colours are more expressive, and darks have clearer resolution than other competitors’ models. Panasonic also uses next-generation xvYCC colour space which supports almost two times as many colours as existing high definition television signals.

This model’s pixel resolution is also 1024 x 768 pixels. The higher the pixel resolution, the sharper and clearer images appear on-screen. So whether you are gaming, watching fast-paced sporting events, or enjoying blockbuster-action movies, you’ll always get the clearest shots with the most definition. The unit is even conveniently mounted on a pedestal stand for easy movement to line up exactly with your seating positions.

The Panasonic TH-42PZ80B also arrives HD-ready, and it is compatible with many home theatre systems including Onkyo and Yamaha. HDMI cables also make it easy to connect with your DVD recorder, Blu-Ray disc player, video camera, and laptop. This variety ensures that you’ll be relaxing and enjoying theatre-quality viewing from the comfort of your own home faster than you ever imagined possible.

One of the Panasonic TH-42PZ80B’s additional attributes is its easy-to-navigate menu system. The fonts on the menus are crisp, and the options are organised logically so it is easy to locate desired features. A universal remote control is also included, and you can use this same remote to operate your new TV as well as your other electronics.

Additional features include:

• Integrated Freview ReceiverPC input
• 100 Hz dual screen
• Desktop stand included
• Child lock
• Headphone socket
• Sleep timer

The main reason behind my decision was that this particular model stands out in the plasma television market as something that no other TV can claim it has done with any of its models. The LG 32PG6000 32″ Plasma TV is in fact a plasma TV in the middle range of sizes, between 32” and 42”, which is pretty unheard of in today’s market.

Anyone that has done the slightest bit of research knows that plasma TVs have the best colour range and contrast ratio due to their capability to be able to show what is known as “true black.”  This was why I wanted to go the plasma route.

I needed something that would let me watch the sports in HD while I wasn’t in the living room and would also let me hook up more than one HDMI connection to it.

Most of the smaller HDTV’s don’t have enough HD connections, but I needed to be able to hook up my cable, my XBOX and my Blu-Ray Player. I was glad to see that the LG 32PG6000 32″ Plasma TV had 4 HDMI ports; another check mark for this one.

Another feature I knew I needed was thing I needed was high quality integrated sound, because I knew I was never going to hook up a surround system to this one.  I was a little worried about this because the TV is smaller than most, but when I turned it about halfway up the sound was booming out of the sleek speakers.

Usually when I buy such a high priced item I question myself at least once afterwards, but not with this one. I can honestly say with 100% confidence that I found exactly what I was looking for in the LG 32PG6000 32″ Plasma TV.

Two factors make HDTV superior. First, it provides more scan lines on the TV screen, resulting in higher detail and picture clarity.  And secondly, HDTV provides you a wider picture which more closely resembles a screen at the local cinema.

How many scan lines will you get with your HDTV?  It depends on which format you watch, one format is the 1080i, and the other one is 720p.  This does not mean you have to buy either the 720p or 1080i.  This does not refer to the type of set you get, but rather to the broadcasting format of the TV stations. Any HDTV will receive either format, either format will also look a lot better than standard TV, although one will look slightly better, depending on what kind of program you use.

The better answer to the question Why HDTV? might well be Why NOT HDTV? Whereas a few years ago, only a few shows were broadcast in high definition, today there are enough to make the investment in the HDTV a good choice.  Even some old shows, broadcast well before the HDTV revolution, have recently been modified to feature the crispness of high-definition. Many favourite shows which can now be seen in high-def including imported US dramas and the big Soap’s and sporting events such as football matches.

HDTV prices are coming down considerably.  In fact, the price of a high-def TV right now is not that much higher than a standard TV of the same size just a decade ago. The government has made it plans clear, that traditional TV broadcasting is to be phased out and replaced by HDTV transmissions. The verdict is clearly that this is a great time and a great choice to move up to high-definition in your living room.

1. First, plasma televisions have a better picture quality than LCD TV’s have, when in a room with low or normal lighting. If you watch television primarily at night time, plasma almost always gives a superior image (LCD sets are great, on the other hand, for a sunny-room type of environment).
2. A plasma television is the better choice for fast-moving video play-back. True, there are a few no-name manufacturers who have plasma products with inferior displays. These inferior models might have a dragging effect as the scene goes from brights to darks, or perhaps they’ll have some phosphor lag.  However, in 90% of the situations, if you want good quality images for fast-moving scenes, you will need a plasma set.  An LCD television, on the other hand, suffers from a trailer effect, in which the TV pixels are a bit out of line with the screen image, especially when the image moves fast.
3. If size really does matter to you, then you’ll probably want a plasma TV, you can find the large screens in both plasma and LCD. However, there is a lot more variety in the large screens for the plasma sets.  As a result, it’s much more affordable getting a big screen in plasma than it is getting the same size in LCD.  To give you an idea of what’s available, LG and Pioneer both produce 61 inch plasma TVs, and Panasonic has a whopping 65 inch model. And coming soon is a Samsung plasma TV of 100 inches. Keep in mind, that these huge displays can also consume a lot more power.  For instance, whereas a 42 inch plasma screen might consume 330 watts, the 65 inch screen takes a whopping 675 watts. However, with each passing year, manufacturers are taking steps to reduce the power intake, making their televisions more efficient.

For these and probably a few other good reasons, more people are selecting plasma as their 21st century television of choice.

If you’re getting ready to buy your first plasma TV, here is some advice that will hopefully help you in the process.

First, consider that you can save a lot of money if you do your shopping online. And usually you can get the same models you’ll find in local retail outlets.

One possible drawback of shopping on the Web, though, is that you can’t always trust the credibility of these Internet dealers. Therefore, make sure you deal only with those that you know are reputable and who will honour a decent warranty.

Wherever you buy your plasma TV, it’s a good idea to go with a known brand name. Companies like Samsung, Sony, Panasonic and Pioneer are known to have plasma TVs of high quality and performance. If you go instead with an unknown brand model, you might find yourself disappointed with the TV picture or with how long the television lasts. Repairs on these not so well known brand sets are possibly more common and can be quite expensive.

As you’re doing you are shopping, keep in mind these important questions.

1. Is it HDTV compatible? Throughout the world, HDTV is rapidly becoming the global standard. It’s a waste of money ordering a plasma set from some where online that you have never heard of, only to find out they provide televisions for some obscure corner of the world where HDTV is not the standard and therefore, their plasma sets are not high-definition.
2. What size do you want and how man can you spend? There are many sizes for plasma TV’s, going from 14 to 63 inches, and larger sizes coming. A good plasma set can run anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand pounds for a large-screen. It is important that you are sure of your budget before you make your purchase.
3. Should I get an extended warranty? It’s never a bad idea for high-priced electronics to pay out for the extra warranty period.

Plasma TV’s have a vivid picture and sleek design along with cinema-like surround sound abilities. It’s well worth doing your homework, and reading up on reviews before making your purchase.