After a long evaluation, I decided to buy the Panasonic TH-50X60U. I ended buying it from Amazon.com since they included free shipping and there is no sales tax applied. I also ended up buying an Extended Warranty Plan on Amazon. I was skeptical about buying an online warranty at first. I called NEW Inc. the warranty provider and spoke with one of their reps. After our discussion, I felt confident that they were a legitimate company and would provide service, should I need it.  Of course, like any warranty, you never know until you need it.

When it comes to a new TV you have three main choices: DLP, Plasma, or LCD. I chose Plasma for size, brightness, and viewing angle. DLP offered the size at a good price but it is not as bright and does not offer as wide a viewing angle. LCD may well be the technology of the future but they don’t make a 50″ LCD TV at a “reasonable” price range yet.

I selected the Panasonic since it was the highest rated plasma TV on consumer reports. I also conducted several field trials by watching football games at Matt’s on his Panasonic. This no doubt influenced my decision. The Panasonic also included a built-in HDTV over-the-air tuner and had the full complement of Video Inputs (HDMI, Component, S-Video, etc.).

After watching it for three days, all I can say is it’s awesome and I highly recommend it.