The Vizio P50HDTV: A Quality 50" Plasma for under $2,000

While no longer such a great deal, Chris Iannicello thinks Vizio's 50" plasma is still a lot of HDTV for the money.

The pictures in the article are showing obviously problems with calibration (color), white clipping, and it would appear that the set is not even doing a true 8 bit color (banding). This set is either horribly calibrated or is a complete waste of money. No modern television should be imparting banding into a scene whose source is a compressed signal (already 8 bit) as this means it does not even have that amount of dynamic range, much less 231 billion colors that are claimed in the article. The lack of saturation in the flesh tones appears to be clipping, not lack of saturation, the luminance has obviously already hit the wall and has shoved everything to its clipped value. Look at the sky scene, you can now longer make out the individual cloud detail on the left hand side that is clearly visible in the reference picture. The 5th element scene is showing both crushed blacks (loss of shadow detail) and clipped luminance (flesh tone has gone to white). The scene from departed is showing the same problems, completely clipped whites where there should be detail. Look out the window, the landscape is almost missing (barely there) the bright areas have no detail and the color shift is towards blue. And again, the blacks are crushed.

Why is this thing worth $2000.00? For that kind of money you can get a much better performing TV that has none of these problems. Yes, you might give up some size but I would trade the obvious improvement in PQ for few inches in viewable area any day.

The panasonic professional 50" (9UK series) is now on sale with instant and mail in rebate for less than $2K over at Newegg.

I woul recommend that over this, although the Panny needs a tuner card and speakers.