Plasma TVs deserve a look

Retailers push LCD TVs so heavily that you might have given little thought to a plasma TV, but it's worth considering one. They often cost less than comparable LCD sets, especially in 50-inch and larger sizes, and they have a few performance advantages. Plasma TVs can display more consistent deep blacks and more movie-like images than LCDs, and they handle fast motion better, without the blur you see on many LCDs. More important, a plasma's almost unlimited viewing angle means the picture looks the same from any angle. With LCD TVs, the picture usually dims or washes out as you move away from dead center. Most new plasmas use no more power than a typical LCD set. We've also found that plasma TVs do better with 3D.

So if you're shopping for a TV that's 42 inches or larger (the smallest plasma size), consider a plasma set, especially for watching sports, action movies, and 3D.