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Pioneer Kuro KRP-500A

The good: Class-leading black level; immersive 3D-like visuals; bassy and crisp sound; quality remote control; abundant A/V tweaking options; effective Optimum mode; ultra-thin bezel.

The bad: Soft PC text; 1080i-only component-video; fixed stand; no front/side HDMI.

The bottom line: The Pioneer Kuro KRP-500A gets our stamp of approval in the audio-visual department, plus an Editors' Choice for its relatively pocket-friendly pricing.

» Read full review of the Pioneer Kuro KRP-500A

Samsung PS50A650T1RXXS

The good: Clean and sharp pictures; solid shadow details; 100Hz engine; onboard JPEG and MP3 playback; four HDMIs; 1080p-enabled PC input; unique "touch of color" design; backlit remote control.

The bad: Colors a bit muted for film-based content; average sound quality.

The bottom line: Though the Samsung PS50A650A1R is better than the Panasonic PY850 feature-wise, it loses out slightly to the latter in terms of picture quality.

» Read full review of the Samsung PS50A650T1RXXS

Panasonic Viera TH-50PY850

The good: Generally smooth and clean visuals; Kuro-level blacks and color saturation; brilliant sound quality; almost flawless motion enhancement; four 1080p24-ready HDMIs; optical audio output; onboard JPEG and AVCHD playback; unique one sheet glass design.

The bad: Slightly softer pictures due to outer glass internal reflections, remote not very responsive; limited tweaking options; bulky; still a little pricey.

The bottom line: This flagship Panasonic Viera plasma is just as good as or even better than the Pioneer LX Kuro in many areas and at a far more reasonable asking price, too.

» Read full review of the Panasonic Viera TH-50PY850