Mid-Year Round Up - Best 2009 HDTVs

The mid-year market looks great with HDTV sales up 15% month-over-month and prices as low as they've ever been. Notably the incredible Sony 52-inch 52XBR9 is now just a hair over the top-of-the-line 52-inch sets from Samsung. We think it's a great deal. Also, supplies of the so-called worlds best HDTV, the incomparable Pioneer PDP-6020FD, are lasting longer than anyone predicted. This great set from Pioneer is still available. A bit pricey, it always has been, it's worth the money. It's still the best HDTV money can buy.

Big screen buyers should check out the excellent Panasonic P54G10 54-inch plasma HDTV. This top rated set is the best value big screen HDTV by far. Highly recommended!

With sales picking up we expect a pause in price drops. That means now is a great time to buy.

Samsung LN40B550 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV $899 at Amazon

Panasonic TC-P42G10 42-Inch HDTV $969 at Amazon

Samsung LN46B550 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV $1274 at Amazon
Samsung LN46B750 46-Inch 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV $1799 at Amazon
Panasonic TC-P46G10 46-Inch HDTV $1169 #1 Best Seller at Amazon

Panasonic TC-P50G10 50-Inch HDTV $1299 at Amazon Best Buy!

Samsung LN52B750 52-Inch 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV $2299 at Amazon
Sony KDL-52XBR9 52-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LCD HDTV $2419 at Amazon

Panasonic TC-P54G10 54-Inch HDTV $1716 at Amazon Best Buy!

Pioneer PDP-6020FD 60-Inch KURO Plasma HDTV $3699 at Amazon

Panasonic G10 Series Plasma HDTV

Best Value HDTV?

The 2009 G10 Series plasma HDTV is the midrange in Panasonic's lineup, but the image quality is top notch, and the prices are reasonable. Power consumption is reduced, these sets are Energy Star compliant, and black levels are much improved. The G10 models are also THX certified—great picture quality right out of the box is practically guaranteed. Blu-ray disc source material via HDMI is particularly impressive.

The G10 Series sets out-perform many higher priced sets, including last year's highly regarded 800U series, and are terrific bargains. The G10s are available in 42-inch, 46-inch, 50-inch, and 54-inch screen sizes, one of which is just perfect for your home theater!

Panasonic TC-P42G10 42-Inch HDTV $979 at Amazon
Panasonic TC-P46G10 46-Inch HDTV $1212 at Amazon #1 Best Seller
Panasonic TC-P50G10 50-Inch HDTV $1359 at Amazon
Panasonic TC-P54G10 54-Inch HDTV $1725 at Amazon

Free Blu-Ray Player and Discs at OneCall

Free Blu-ray with select Samsung HDTVs AND 3 Free Blu-ray Movies!

Purchase select Samsung HDTV models at OneCall.com and receive a free LG blu-ray player when you checkout with the coupon code: GET-A-BLU-RAY.

Bonus: Includes a 3-disc Blu-ray Movie Bundle. Limited to quantities on hand. Excludes open box, special, clearance and MyPrice items and may not be combined with other promotions. Shipping charges apply. Blu-ray disc bundle valid on purchases after June 5, 2009. Expires: Friday, July 31, 2009 at 12:00:00 AM

Qualifying HDTVs

Pioneer Kuro PDP-6020FD Still Available $3865

World's Best HDTV(?)

We think so. The Pioneer Kuro 9Gs are indeed the world best HDTVs. Many dealers are sold out but our favorite 60-inch HDTV, the fantastic Pioneer PDP-6020FD, is still available at Amazon for the sweet price of $3865 delivered. Let's not forget that the next generation Kuro screens will be manufatured by Panasonic. We're not knocking Panasonic plasmas; indeed they are very fine TVs. But side-by-side the Pioneer Kuro 9G kicks butt. Will the next-gen Pioneer Kuros stand above? Maybe, maybe not. What is certain is that PDP-6020FD, the best 60-inch HDTV ever, is still available. We're inclined not to gamble on the next-gen Kuros and to stick with the proven PDP-6020FD.

Pioneer PDP-6020FD 60-Inch KURO Plasma HDTV $3865 delivered

Samsung LCD, Panasonic G10 Top Selling HDTV

Quality Picture, Reasonable Price Drive Sales

The HDTV market is holding well in spite of intense economic pressure. Samsung LCD HDTVs continue their reign as the most popular and best selling HDTVs, although the excellent Panasonic G10 Series plasma HDTVs hold their own. Sony continues to stuggle to grab market share from rival Samsung, but the well received—and pricey—52XBR9 is finding favor with some HDTV aficionados. We're partial to the Panasonic G10 plasmas, but don't knock anyone for their preference of the new generation Samsung LCDs. To be fair the gap between plasma and LCD is very narrow and we'd be thrilled to have any of these top-selling sets in our living room.

Here's our picks for the best-of-the-best in the current market:

Samsung LN40B550 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
Samsung LN46B550 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
Samsung LN46B750 46-Inch 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV
Samsung LN52A750 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
Samsung LN52B750 52-Inch 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV
Sony KDL-52XBR9 52-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LCD HDTV

Panasonic TC-P42G10 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
Panasonic TC-P46G10 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
Panasonic TC-P50G10 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Great HDTV Deals at Amazon Outlet Store

The Amazon Outlet HDTV Store store offers last year's models at a discount. We found a few super deals on sets that hold their own with the newer 2009 models (check out that 46-inch Sharp LC46D65U!):

Samsung LN52A630 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV $1809 Hot Deal!
Samsung LN46A630 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV $1493 Hot Deal!
Sharp LC46D65U 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV $1043 Hot Deal!

2009 Panasonic Plasma HDTVs Well Received

Panasonic G10 Series Most Popular

First came the rave reviews and now consumers are voting thumbs-up on the new Panasonic plasma HDTVs. The 1080p G10 series are most popular—the 42-inch, 46-inch, and 50-inch sets are the top selling plasmas at Amazon—and the 720p X1 series offers exceptional value at 42 and 50 inches. We like the value-priced X1 series—at 50-inches and below 720p is perfectly adequate. We don't fault anyone for 1080p preference, but the 720p X1 series picture quality is outstanding and these 720p sets offer great value.

Panasonic TC-P42X1 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV $738 Hot Deal!
Panasonic TC-P50X1 50-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV $932 Hot Deal!
All Top Selling Panasonic HDTVs

Samsung 6000 Series LCD HDTV

Samsung LED LCD HDTV—Hot Enough For Summer

These ultra-slim, ultra-sharp, ultra-efficient LCD HDTVs are flat out cool. Great blacks, thanks to LED local dimming, and minimal motion artifacts due to 4 msec repsonse time and 120 Hz image processing. Great connectivity including 4 HDMI inputs and an optical digital audio output. These sets use 40% less energy than a standard LCD set. We love the deep blacks and accurate colors. These sets looks great in a bright room, in particular with high-def material. Available in 40-inch, 46-inch, and 55-inch screens.

Samsung UN40B6000 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV
Samsung UN46B6000 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV
Samsung UN55B6000 55-Inch 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV

Best LCD HDTVs of 2009

We Can See Clearly Now

The 2009 LCD HDTV roll out is underway and we like it. Deeper blacks, higher refresh rates, and motion blur reduction, previously expensive adders, are standard features in many new 2009 sets. Here are a few that offer outstanding picture quality, most at reasonable cost:

Sony KDL-32XBR9 32-Inch 120Hz LCD HDTV
Sony KDL-40S5100 40-Inch LCD HDTV
Sony KDL-46V5100 46-Inch 120Hz LCD HDTV
Sony KDL-52V5100 52-Inch 120Hz LCD HDTV
Sony KDL-52XBR9 52-Inch 240Hz LCD HDTV

Samsung LN40B650 40-Inch 120Hz LCD HDTV
Samsung LN46B650 46-Inch 120Hz LCD HDTV
Samsung LN46B750 46-Inch 240Hz LCD HDTV
Samsung LN52B750 52-Inch 240Hz LCD HDTV

Free Denon Blu-Ray Player with Home Theater Receiver

Denon Receiver/Blu-Ray Player Bundle

Home theater spring bundle! From now until April 30, 2009, buy a Denon home theater receiver and take home a free Denon DVD-2500BTCI Blu-ray player at Amazon. Included in the receiver choices are the following excellent models:

Denon AVR-989 7.1 Channel
Denon AVR-2809CI 7.1 Channel $1194 WOW Hot Deal
Denon AVR-3808CI 7.1-Channel
Denon AVR-4308CI 7.1 Channel
Denon AVR5308CI 7.1 Channel