What does it actually look like. Simple as that! It does not mean that you have a quick look then buy one, but if you take your time and use my tips you should choose successfully.
Check out your satisfaction with multiple image types. What I mean is see what the plasma looks like with a regular DVD playing. Then ask to see it connected to a regular TV picture. If you are going to use it for games then ask them to hook the appropriate console up to it. If it is too much trouble then politely explain that it is a make or break requirement and that if they can't you will have to research elsewhere.
Be aware that cartoons look good on the crappiest of LCD TVs and therefore should not be used as part of the assessment. Be aware that this purchase is almost certainly one that you want to last for a long time and even if you are not going to be getting SKY HD or an HD DVD source, like BLU-RAY, right away maybe you will before you get another new TV?
Check every conceivable option so that when you finally part with your money you are satisfied that the picture is both stunning and suitable.
Picture Enhancement Technology Warning
Samsung DNIE, JVC - GENESSA, Philips - Natural Motion and PixelPlus, Sony – BRAVIA or WEGA and any others you care to mention.
They are ALL WITHOUT EXCEPTION RUBBISH! So why do they exist? Simply put most plasma/LCD screens (That is the actual screen not the whole TV) come from the same few factories. Even the other components come from a reasonably limited range of manufacturers. These components are then assembled and badged by the various brands that we recognize in the stores. It is true that the combinations of components used does affect the finished overall quality but I don't know anyone on earth qualified to make an assessment of the TV based on this knowledge.
Any way what I was going to say was the various picture enhancement technologies are a way of the brands distinguishing themselves from others. Basically they all work in much the same way. The processor uses a mathematical algorithm or two, and changes the color, intensity and sometimes even the position of given pixels. In rare circumstances this can cause a minor enhancement but in most cases, at best, the picture is a bit different but you would have to be determined (and biased) to argue that they are actually better.
So don't worry about studying all the different phrases of the week and make sure that when you study the picture quality, do so with any enhancements switched off.
The best Plasma & LCD TV Manufacturers
With regard to which brand is best there is no answer. I often hear salespeople jumping up and down about Sony but then they have to because they are often dearer. When a company chooses which components go into which model the decisions are almost always made on compatibility, features and availability. And if a company has spent millions on telling you how good there picture quality is (like Sony) they are not going to cut their margins unless they absolutely have to. Go by what YOU can actually see, not rhetoric. If the salesperson really new the quality of individual components he wouldn't be talking to you in a TV store.
A final word about brands. I am reasonably reliably informed that it is true that the 'own brands' do have cheaper components (some of the components) but it does not mean you should exclude own brands from your search. Often they might be cheaper for reasons like fewer inputs or some other issue which might not matter to you.
So in a word with regards to a TVs quality, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
