Introduction NEC is a premium Japanese audio/video manufacturer with a long history of producing some of the finest display devices made. They are famous among industry inner circles for being sticklers for detail and their products are known for quality and advanced design for both professional and consumer usage. The clean lines of this new $8,995 50-inch NEC plasma give it an elegant look in a dedicated theater or indeed almost any living environment. It is a mere 3.8 inches deep and the bezel is as thin as a minimal picture frame. It comes in a beautiful matte silver finish that can actually be removed for painting. This allows the room designer options not available with other units. The PX-50XR4A offers every desirable input and is fluent in both digital and analog. Colors are deep and image quality is first rate. The gray scale is well delineated and accurately displayed. Most importantly, it is impressive when ...

Introduction As Americans, it is our God-given right to “bigger and better” everything. This is exactly what Samsung is counting on with their newest $17,999 plasma, the PPM63H3. At 63 inches, this “professional” plasma monitor is and certainly looks larger than the more standard 50-inch sets. With the waif-like thinness of a flat screen TV, it is now possible to get what is turning out to be a pretty damn large picture in your living room. Cost-wise, a 63-inch plasma is priced at around the same levels that 50-inch plasmas were a few years back, just below $20,000. Samsung as a company has made some significant strides in recent years in competing with other more well-known Japanese electronics manufacturers (most notably Sony) by offering innovative technology in competitively priced audio/video products. The PPM63H3 is no exception. It features an exclusive technology called DNIe, which reportedly reduces noise and increases detail. The set has a contrast-enhancing feature ...

The Fujistu P50XHA10US Plasmavision is the largest plasma monitor Fujitsu currently manufactures and the flagship product in their current line. The 16 x 9 widescreen, 50-inch diagonal, 99 pound plasma monitor measures only four inches deep and retails for $10,999. The P50XHA10US has a fixed pixel native resolution of 1366 x 768 and can display images in 1080i and 720p HDTV, as well as 480i and 480p STDV. While owning a 50-inch plasma monitor will no doubt make you feel like the coolest cat in the neighborhood, the P50XHA10US will take you one step further with its stunning good looks. In my view, the wide metallic silver front bezel of the P50XHA10US makes it the most attractive plasma currently on the market. It is certain to please even the most discriminating spouse as far as fitting into any décor. The P50XHA10US has ...

What most captures my imagination in this new era of digital video is the flat-panel plasma display with its characteristic ultra thin chassis. Pioneer's PDP-501M is the biggest and best display in this category so far. It's also the most expensive at a recently reduced $22,000. The PDP-501M is a full 50" diagonal screen in a 16:9 aspect ratio, accommodating DVD and HDTV broadcasts. While other plasma displays deliver a 480p picture, meeting Standard Definition specifications, the PDP-501M is the only commercially available plasma display capable of displaying a high definition 720p picture. A wide array of inputs are provided for different types of sources. A standard NTSC composite and S-Video input allows hook-ups of analog VCR's and Laserdisc players. The RGB (component) inputs are essential for the best reproduction of DVD and Digital VCR material. For some eye-popping web ...

The Sony PFM 500 plasma is a $10,000 high-definition ready, 42-inch diagonal television or data grade, 16x9 aspect ratio video monitor. At six inches deep, it is not the most slender in its class, but compared to traditional CRT sets, Sony’s Plasma is easily twenty inches narrower. It can be hung on a wall with an additional bracket ($900) or it can be set on a flat surface by engaging the feet built into the monitor. Note: I am calling the Sony Plasma a monitor. It is not a television, as it does not have the built-in tuner, amplification or speakers that you’d find on a conventional TV set. The Sony Plasma is ready for HDTV in neighborhoods where this technology is already available. You will need a $1500 HDTV tuner and after-market antenna set-up in order to receive your NFL ...