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Want a TV now-ish? Get the Panasonic ST50 rather than waiting on the ST60

I can't tell you how many times last year I told people, "Just get the Panasonic ST50 plasma." A lot. More times than I shaved, surely.

Turns out I'll be saying it a lot at the beginning of this year, too, at least until the TV sells out.

One of the most important products announced at CES 2013, at least as far as I'm concerned, was its direct successor, the Panasonic ST60 series. So with the ST50 still available for sale and the ST60 launching in March or April, the natural question is whether to … Read more

Six top TV values: Best screens for the buck

In 2012, we made some changes to the way we rate televisions, with the biggest one being the new Value score. CNET now apportions 40 percent of the total TV score to value. Whether it's worth $300 or $3,000, you want to know that the TV you're buying represents the best you can get for the price, and that's where Value comes in.

The following models scored superbly on Value, garnering either a 9 or a 10 on the scale. We've spoken at length about how good the Panasonic ST50 is for the money, and so it's only natural that it gets a 10. But it's not the only awesome value out there. Below you'll find five others, too, starting at a mere $250 and arranged in order of Value and overall CNET score.… Read more

Panasonic ST50 vs Sharp Elite Pro: How much would you pay?

In the United States, hundreds of new TVs are released every year, and our job is to pick out the diamonds from among the dirt clods. In the past six months, two TVs have really stood out to me not only as diamonds, but iconic in the same way that the Pioneer Kuro was all of those years ago.

While we all wait for OLEDs to appear later in 2012, I have seen only two televisions in recent memory that I would consider buying for myself: the Sharp Elite Pro and the Panasonic ST50. Both have amazing image quality, but … Read more

Panasonic GT50 plasma boasts improved picture and design

LAS VEGAS--In the past, Panasonic's GT variants have been almost as good as the flagships they supported, and at much more affordable prices. We anticipate that this trend will continue with the new GT50.

The GT50 will come in four sizes from 50 inches to 65 inches and ships with an "Infinite Black Pro" panel. The full-HD 3D panel features 2D-to-3D conversion and a new louver filter designed to provide better contrast in lit environments.

With the exception of the Z1, design wasn't a key consideration for Panasonic plasmas until last year, with the "metallic … Read more

Will the Panasonic ST50 be the best TV value ever?

In 2011, Panasonic's ST30 was our favorite TV priced at less than $1,000 and perhaps the best value of any TV we've ever reviewed, demonstrating top-of-its-class performance for the money.

But all good things must come to an end, and the ST30 is moving aside for the ST50.

The ST50 sits in the middle of Panasonic's 2012 range with four sizes starting at 50 inches and includes most of the goodies found in the more-expensive GT50 and VT50 televisions. It's the least-expensive to boast the "Infinite Black Pro" panel, which, if last year … Read more