I have been researching flatpanel plasma tvs for some time now, and many have told me that for the price, the Panasonic TH-42PWD8UK Proline 42" Plasma Display was the best I could afford...(I would have said "buy" but I'm on a budget!) I recently saw a deal on Amazon for the TV and bought it. I paid around $1440 with shipping. Although I did do the research, I need a little reassurance, or a reason to return it if I have to. Did I get a good deal? Can anyone help me out? And if I did get a good deal...what other components do I need to purchase to maximize it's performance? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again!

The Panasonic plasmas are very well regarded, especially for their bang-for-the-buck factor. The only drawback to this particular model is that it is an EDTV (480p) not an HDTV (720p). That being said, the set will loook great when you watch dvds (progressive scan dvd players have a resolution of 480p). HD will look good, although you won't have the same resolution as a true HDTV. However, many people have said that they don't see a big difference between the ED and the HD 42 inch plasmas.

Unless full HD is a big deal for you, I would say keep the set. It will give you a great picture, it looks cool as hell, and you can't beat the price (I paid almost that much for a 26 inch LCD tv a few months ago)

Well my .02 is that HD is what you want. You spent a good chunk of change on an non-hd set.

You are looking to spend some more $:

"what other components do I need to purchase to maximize it's performance?"

I would say save up some more $ and get a HD set. The HD set is close to double the Picture Quality of what you currently have.

Prices are dropping fast - by the time you save up some more $ , the HD sets will be in your price range.

I'm not trying to burst your bubble, and since you are on this forum asking questions - You know more about this stuff than "Joe-6-Pack" who get's his AV advice from the "guy at Best Buy"

Good Luck with what ever you decide to do, But I would wait for HD you won't be disapointed- and in a couple of years when everyone else has HD Plasmas you will have an ED Plasma.

CPA-ESQ. has a good point. While the set will be great for DVDs, you may regret the purchase in a few years when more HD content is available. Also, 480p won't look nearly as good as 720p or 1080i when playing nex-gen (blu-ray or HD-DVD) material.

I think the HD Panny plasmas can be had for around $2000 (someone help me out on this, please). At the least, take a look at the HD sets to see if it's worth the extra cash to you. IMO, it's almost always better to spend more now rather than regret a purchase in a year.

$2200 for the pro version at Visual Apex, good company.