2010 Christmas Shopping: Choosing the Best Television

If you're in the market for a television this holiday shopping season, there are many factors to take into account in determining which is the best unit for you.

One obvious factor is cost. How much do you have to spend? $300? $3,000?

Another factor is size. How much space do you have where you intend to put the TV? (Or how much space will the person have to whom you're giving the TV as a gift?)

With more and more programming becoming available in high definition, you probably want an HD TV if you can afford one. But even that's not a no brainer. Most people feel non-HD material actually looks a little worse on an HD TV than on a standard TV, especially for very large screens. So if you'll be watching a significant amount of standard cable, VHS tapes, etc., HD might not be the way to go after all.

What about 3D TV? Do you want to jump in now and get a 3D capable set? If the glasses make you sick and you don't think 3D even looks that good, maybe not. Or maybe you're interested, but you'd rather wait until the technology gets a little better, and the prices come down.

Even seemingly minor factors can be important in determining what TV is best for you. Consider the remote control, for instance. If the remote is intuitive and easy to use, that can make a big difference to your experience with your TV compared to if it's incomprehensible and has you constantly pushing the wrong buttons in frustration.

But all that being said, a plausible pick for the best TV you could buy this Christmas season-or at least one worthy of your serious consideration if it's within your budget-is the Panasonic TC-P50VT25 Plasma 3D TV. Let's look at some of the features that make this a top choice:

The TC-P50VT25 uses what's called a Neo Plasma Display Panel, which enables true 1080p video content. That means this TV can display a full 1080 lines of resolution even during fast moving scenes, which is something even the best LCD 3D TVs cannot do.

The TC-P50VT25 is THX certified, meaning that it meets the highest standards in such areas as accurate colors and color gamut, contrast ratios, proper black level, and uniform brightness. The black level, in fact, is improved even from earlier models in this series, due to the Infinite Black Pro feature that provides a dynamic contrast ratio of 5 million to 1.

The improved remote has a better differentiated layout, more backlit keys, and a larger Menu button.

The TC-P50VT25 includes two features to guard against burn-in. The pixel orbiter is designed to prevent it entirely, and then just to make sure, the scrolling bar erases any potential burn-in.

Unlike many 3D TVs, the TC-P50VT25 includes a pair of the 3D glasses. Granted that's not enough, unless only one person will ever watch 3D content at a time, but at least it's something.

For now, and probably quite a way into the future, the bulk of your TV viewing will probably not be in 3D. So the 2D picture quality matters every bit as much. What's nice about the TC-P50VT25 is that it would rank at or near the top in terms of both 2D quality and 3D quality.

It's pricey though, as you would expect. Right now a new TC-P50VT25 runs about $2,000, and that's not going to be in everyone's price range for a Christmas gift. But if you're diligent about checking Black Friday sales and other promotions throughout the season, chances are you'll find someone somewhere selling this model for considerably less.

Sources:

Robert Silva, "Buying A Television - What You Need To Know." About.com.
"Panasonic TC-P50VT25 Plasma 3D TV Review." Best 3D TVs.
"Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT25." CNET.