• A high-resolution televisionmahlzeit on tv image by Silvia Bogdanski from Fotolia.com
  
  A plasma television is one in which a mixture of gases is held between two panels of glass. Electricity turns the gas into plasma which emits ultraviolet light and then visible light. This creates excellent contrast ratios, the ability to view high angles better than LCD televisions and have very little motion blur. Some plasma televisions are better than others but most still have amazing quality that is worth the price tag. The varying factors between them tends to be slight differences in the quality and features that the televisions offer.
  
  

Panasonic Viera PG10

• This series of plasma TVs comes highly recommended by CNET and HDGuru. Picture quality for these TVs is top-notch with strong shadow details, accurate colors and high-rated black levels. The televisions come with a THX mode that delivers an intimate movie watching experience in your home. The image is a bit softer when it upconverts standard television channels to HD. Panasonic's Viera Cast is a feature that allows you to view online content from sites like Picasa, Amazon Video and YouTube. Another feature lets you stream videos and photos from other devices. As of April 2010, 50-inch Viera TC-P50G10 goes for around $1,300.
  
  

Samsung PN50B650

• Samsung plasma televisions also receive generally positive reviews and they feature a light-filtering system that reduces screen reflections, a headache of many plasma TV users. This causes the televisions to do well in well-lit rooms but not as well with black levels. Colors tend to be a bit more accurate and lifelike than Panasonic TVs and the standard-definition upconverting does not have the same image softening problem. The televisions in this Samsung series are not THX certified and use Yahoo! widgets to power their Internet applications. The 50-inch Samsung PN50B650 goes for around $1,240, as of April 2010.
  
  

LG 50PS80

• LG plasma televisions tend to be a bit less popular than the Samsung and Panasonic brands, but are still high-quality choices. The LG50PS80 series has THX certification and has the ability to stream movies directly from Netflix and other providers. There are several different frame designs which can be chosen to match home décor. The televisions have strong picture quality and sound, but have some issues when it comes to changing from one shade of a color into another. For a lower price, there is the LG PS60 series, which still has THX certification but has many of the interactive features stripped away. As of April 2010, the 50-inch LG 50PS80 television goes for around $1,600.
  
  

Panasonic Viera TC-P50X1

• The Panasonic PX1 series, including the Viera TC-P50X1, is a more value-conscious plasma television for the consumer wanting the quality of plasma without the over $1,000 price tag. The Viera TC-P50X1 goes for around $750 (as of April 2010) and has high image quality considering the price. There are a few issues such as faint lines during banding and color accuracy. The black levels are on par with more expensive televisions though they are not as energy efficient as the higher-end televisions. Resolution is 720p, as opposed to 1080p, which some viewers may not even be able to tell the difference between.