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Strengths: Cable card slot, colors, sound, HDTV picture
Weaknesses: analog and digital television performance
Summary: I initially made the mistake of not purchasing a plasma tv from one of the top plasma brands (sony, pioneer, panasonic) in order to save a few bucks. Big mistake! Just as a side note and warning to those uneducated, the off brand plasmas have a good HD picture, but terrible sound quality and analog/digital/dvds are grainy, even with the best connections and strongest cable signals. It simply is not worth saving a couple of bucks. You will be disappointed with the overall performance. After returning the Viewsonic plasma I initially purchased, I spent several months researching plasmas and lcds so I feel somewhat qualified to make recommendations. I finally decided on the panasonic television for a number of reasons, one being that consumer reports rated this model #1 for value and performance.
The picture quality is very nice, especially the HD programming. I am using the cable card which is nice because I have been able to eliminate wire clutter. DVDs look pretty good and analong/digital programing is average, better than many plasmas, but certainly not crt quality (which is expected to some extent). Some streak artifact is noticeable with certain channels and at times you may notice "pixilation" artifact. The overall colors are vivid (dark blacks as well) and the sharpness is good, better than the sony models, but possibly not quite as good as the pioneer. The sound is excellent. If your using this tv in a small apartment like myself you almost dont need a surround sound system. Easy to use remote control, nothing fancy though.
Overall, this quality of this tv is nice and it offers some nice options (pip, cable card, etc...). If you are willing to spend an extra grand I would look at the pioneer plasma. If you dont have any budget restraints I would consider the sharp lcd 45'.
Regardless, the panasonic is a nice plasma tv for the consumer who wants a quality item from a top brand with a reasonable price tag and an eye-catching shell. I was able to purchase this tv for under $3500 online.

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