Men no longer have to plead their case for big-screen TVs—and they have the plasma display to thank for it. Most manufacturers offer several 42- and 50-inch plasma HDTVs. The 42 inchers have been more popular, but the trend is shifting toward the 50-inch models. (Virtually all 50-inch models have a 42-inch brother at a lower price.)

Speaking of prices, it was only a few years ago that a 50-inch model cost $10,000 or more. Today, there are 50-inch models under $2,000 and 60-inch models under $6,000.

The biggest current trend in plasma TVs is toward “full HD” 1080p resolution (also expressed in a pixel count of 1920 x 1080). But 1080p can be pricey. So is it worth buying over 720p (or 1366 x 768)? If you have the bucks, go for it. Otherwise, there are many fine sets in resolutions of 720p and 1080i.

Some plasma displays called “integrated sets” have built-in digital (ATSC) and standard (NTSC) over-the-air and cable (QAM) tuners, while some monitor-only versions don’t. In those cases, you must provide your own tuner, often in the form of a cable or satellite box. Many newer models are also digital-cable ready with a CableCARD slot—the cable company provides the card—thereby eliminating a cable box. In higher-end models, look for features like 3:2 pulldown to smooth out images transferred from film. And seek HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) for an all-in-one digital audio and video connection.—Dennis P. Barker

Slideshow Features

Start 23 Plasmas for Every Budget Slideshow or jump to a specific product:

• LG 60PC1D 60-Inch Plasma ($5,899)
• Hitachi 42HDT79 42-Inch Plasma ($2,999)
• Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1 50-Inch Plasma ($10,000)
• Toshiba 50HP66 50-Inch Plasma ($3,299)
• Samsung HP-S5073 50-Inch Plasma ($4,299)
• Philips 50PF9731D/37 50-Inch Plasma ($3,999)
• Panasonic TH-103PZ600U 103-Inch Plasma ($69,999)
• Envision P50H260 50-Inch Plasma ($2,299)
• Panasonic TH-58PX600U 58-Inch Plasma ($5,999)
• LG 50PC1DRA 50-Inch Plasma ($4,449)
• Dwin Plasmaimage HD-200 42-Inch Plasma ($10,995)
• Samsung TrueWide HP-S6373 63-Inch Plasma ($9,999)
• Vizio 50-Inch Plasma ($1,999)
• HP PL5060N 50-Inch Plasma ($2,999)
• NEC Showcase 50XR5 50-Inch Plasma ($5,495)
• Hitachi 55HDX99 55-Inch Plasma ($5,299)
• Dell W4201C 42-Inch Plasma ($1,899)
• Klegg KP-5501 55-Inch Plasma ($6,499)
• Norcent PT5041HD 50-Inch Plasma ($3,199)
• Marantz PD5050D 50-Inch Plasma ($6,499)
• Runco CinemaWall CW-42HD 42-Inch Plasma ($6,495)
• Fujitsu e-ALis 55-Inch Plasma ($8,999)
• Vidikron VP-50 PlasmaView 50-Inch Plasma ($7,995)