This article, High Definition 1080p TV: Why You Should Be Concerned, authored by Brian Florian and Colin Miller from the March 2007 edition of the Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity, explains and shows why 1080p is better than 1080i and lesser-resolution HDTV formats. If you’re buying a large flat-panel HDTV that’s 50 inches or larger in size and you’re into watching movies, the 1080p format delivers noticeably better quality with a Blu-ray or HD DVD player.

While I’m revisiting this subject, it’s probably worth pointing out that Consumer Reports just picked the Panasonic’s 50-inch 1080p HDTV model TH-50PZ700U as it’s best rated plasma. That’s the model I purchased. The same Consumer Reports article (in the November 2007 issue) provides some insights into the advantages of 1080p. CR makes the point that there are 720p sets that provide at least as good picture quality as some 1080p sets. That’s especially the case with HDTVs that are smaller than 50 inches, where the quality improvement is harder to discern. If you’re not a movie lover or if you’re buying a second widescreen TV, 720p is probably just fine for, say, a 42-inch set.

I didn’t get any comments on the specific model, but I was already sold on it. I took a quick look at it running a Blu-ray DVD in the store, and that was it. I got a pretty good deal on this model from Circuit City that included 0% interest and no payments until January of 2009. That gives me 18 months to pay it off, interest-free. I paid $3,050 about a month ago, and Circuit City now lists it at $2,999.

I couldn’t be happier with this purchase. I’m watching my favorite sports team as I write this in perfect, full-screen HDTV. It’s gorgeous. It displays conventional TV better than I expected, and the bright, saturated HDTV colors and crisp shapes continue to wow me. Comcast offers about 30 to 40 HDTV channels, including about 80% of the ones I watch the most. So I’m watching HD programming much of the time.

A lot of SFNL readers have written about brands and large-screen TV types. I made the correct decision for me and for my family. There were no surprises in the downsides to plasma, since the picture quality is far and away the overriding factor for me. The negatives are:

1. Plasma TVs draw a lot of power. My particular unit draws 695 watts. That’s a lot of juice for a TV.

2. It’s heavy. With its pedestal stand, it weighs 123.5 pounds.

3. Long-term plasma reliability isn’t as well established as that of CRT or LCD technology.

4. Installation is not for the faint of heart. You need two pairs of strong arms, and most people should probably leave it to the pros to mount their TVs on the wall. Every year, large-screen TVs kill children and even adults when someone accidentally pulls them over.

The wiring connections, though, are easy. There’s nothing all that special about it. HDMI cabling makes it easier, in fact.

So, while there are some negatives to plasma, the two most important things to me — HD and conventional TV picture quality — are where plasma really shines. That factor gets a 70% weighting in my analysis. If power consumption is your big deal, then by all means, go with LCD. I recommend Sony’s Bravia line.

Many plasma aficionados prefer the Pioneer models. Pioneer staked out the plasma territory early. And while there may be some minor advantages to Pioneer models, I honestly don’t think you’ll see them with your eyes. But you’ll pay more dearly for them at the cash register. For me, the Panasonic models offer the best bang for the buck.

Another common thread among emails about picking plasma was, why did I have to have 1080p? It’s quite true that HDTV is unlikely to be 1080p quality any time soon (if ever). But you can get pure 1080p from Netflix (and its competitors) anytime you want to by buying an HD-DVD or Blu-ray player. My recommendation is for a Blu-ray player, by the way. In fact, I recommend Sony’s new BDP-S300, which has a list price of $499.

I should hasten to add, I haven’t purchased BDP-S300 yet. It’s just that it’s about the lowest priced Blu-ray DVD player ever and from the leading proponent of the Blu-ray standard.

When it comes to big-screen HDTV, though, that’s about to end. (My hybrid car and fourth Mac will have to wait, I guess.)

Cyndy, my wife, will tell you that my HDTV decision is directly the result of my two favorite sports teams looking up this year — in a big way. One has a leading record and the other is having a very productive off-season. I learned long ago: Don’t bet against my wife!

But there’s another reason I’m finally breaking down and getting ready to spend money I don’t have yet on a 50-inch flat-screen TV. I’m talking about the confluence of the high-resolution 1080p standard with plasma display technology. Pioneer and Panasonic both announced 1080p plasmas early this year, and they’ve been shipping for a few months. Other manufacturers have them too. It’s finally the right time to buy a big-screen plasma TV.

I’m not going to get into a long discussion about plasma’s strengths and weaknesses versus other display technologies. But suffice it to say that I also like the best of the LCD technology for big-screen TVs too. For two products I picked late last fall in Computerworld’s 2006 Holiday Gift Guide, see this story.

The plasma TV I’m giving strong consideration to is Panasonic’s 50-inch 1080p HDTV model TH-50PZ700U.

If you have experience with this plasma TV, or any other 1080p plasma, I’d be very interested in your input.