6. Sound Quality

When using the HDMI cable, the sound quality of the integrated speakers was sufficient, but no better or worse than other television speakers in this price range. Once thing to be aware of is there is a considerable amount of fan noise coming from the back of the display, especially during quiet scenes. It was not overly distracting, but if you listen for it you can hear it.

PC Monitor

Using the VGA Input, the Vizio P50HDTV displayed full 1366x768 resolution from my desktop computer and the results were very good, especially for a plasma. Most plasma displays I've tested have had significant brightness issues, especially when displaying light or white content. It seems that with computer-based content, plasmas have a certain amount of light to distribute and if you attempt to spread that light across the entire display, brightness is significantly reduced. While I did experience this behavior with the P50HDTV, it was not nearly as bad as some other higher-priced plasma displays I've tested and it was not much of a distraction. Photos and videos were displayed faithfully, and full resolution games were rendered very well with no signs of motion ghosting or streaking.

Conclusion

The Vizio P50HDTV has a lot of good qualities compared to other 50" HDTVs. Like all Vizio displays, it has a very pleasing look and feel that would look good in just about any type of room. Contrast and color performance is top-notch and comparable to industry-leading plasma displays. Color accuracy is very good with very little adjustment needed. However, there is a considerable amount of video noise and false contouring, especially if you prefer to sit closer than 10 feet away.

The P50HDTV is priced at $1,999 retail and about $1,899 street, which is on the low end of the 50" plasma market, but not nearly the great deal it was 6-12 months ago. Prices are dropping fast and there are many high-quality plasma options between $2100 and $2400. However, if most of your TV viewing will be from farther than 10 feet and you are in the market for a 50"plasma, I would put the Vizio P50HDTV on your short list.

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