I plan to buy a hdtv. Is Panasonic TH-58PZ800U plasma tv a better choice than a lcd tv? ?

It really depends on a couple of things. First and oddly most important. Where do you live? The higher your altitude the less effective plasma becomes. something to do with atm pressure and burn in. forget it if you're over 4000 ft. LCD is not affected by atm, but it might not be quite as good as plasma nearer to sea level. second, what are you going to do? watch tv/movies? go for it! games can often times burn afterimages into plasma that the lcd can negate. I didn't believe this until I played a PS2 on my aunt's plasma, and could still see the loading... bit for at least two days afterward. Third, and final, plasma generates more heat than lcd, but can get truer colors sometimes. If it's in a room where more than 3 people get the room sweaty hot, then consider alternative. If it's in a large room, you're set. Honestly I live in an area where plasma just doesn't perform well, and my gut says just go lcd and save hassle, but you might find that you like plasma better. The best way to really know would be to walk into a circuit city or best buy and sit there and watch the tvs. they may not be the same as the one you're looking at, but the burn in rates and heat will be clearly seen, as well as picture quality. Do not worry. I have experience in these things.

I have been told by more than one retailer that LCD is better in a room with lots of windows (if you watch during the day at all) as it has a slightly brighter picture. Pictures on a plasma TV can look a little pale in a very bright light room. Obviously at night it makes no difference. Good luck with your purchase - the choices are mind boggling !!

go LCD, plasma is now a dying technology, uses 3 times as much electricity,still prone to screen burn in (though better than they used to be) the sets are very heavy and delicate to move around, also tend to have glass screen so reflection can be a problem. the newest LCDs are of equal or better quality than the best plasma and will last you a lot longer, cheap LCDs are rubbish though. however, after checking out your model number, at 58" you might be better with plasma as LCDs seem to stop at 52" and I remember reading that larger than about 42-46" plasma is definitely better.

the panasonic is better than the best LCD, but you still have other plasma TV's that are better than the Panasonic (like the pioneer kuro). The panasonic has a 100,000 hours of lifespan, and it has more realistic colors than most LCDs. LCD is gonna be a dead technology two years from now because it will be replaced by OLED. Plasmas will NOT die because they offer big screen sizes and performance that rivals CRTs.(CRTs are the best). However the Panasonic is not suitable for very brightly lit rooms, because it does not have a decent anti reflection filter. The Pioneer Kuro is declared the best TV in the world, and they have good anti reflection filter. Stay away from LCDs if you watch sports, and play games, because LCDs have motion blur. Don't listen to the people who tell you that plasma has burn-in. Only old plasmas have burn-in. Those people obviously live under a rock.

That is a GREAT HDTV! Read the 3/08 Consumer Reports HDTV article at your local public library. It will explain the differences in the two technologies (plasma vs. LCD) and give you ratings on performance and reliability of various brands. Hint: Panasonic is No.1. I have a 50" Panasonic, btw. Ignore at least 4 out of 5 comments you read here. Most of the posters don't have a clue what they are talking about. Another reliable source is CNet.com.