All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
Welcome to a new era of plasma TVs. For some time it seemed the original flatscreen had met its match in lighter, skinnier, and brighter liquid crystal displays. But plasma is back and better than ever, offering truer blacks, crisper colors, and lower prices-per-inch than LCDs. And technologies like pixel orbiting have stopped the dreaded image burn-in that once plagued these viewers. - Terry Paullin
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Contrast ratio The range between the lightest and darkest image a screen can display is one of the most important metrics to consider. Have a retailer calibrate a TV for you in the store to best judge this span for yourself. All the assessments in our reviews are based on actual ratios, measured by us, not manufacturer claims.
Motion artifacts Pixel response can be a problem with plasmas. Watch for trailing edges on moving objects, such as Tiger Woods’ driver.
Color accuracy Plasmas often trade color accuracy for brightness. Beware of "limey" greens.
HOW WE TESTED
TV We watched standard- and high-definition broadcasts from a Comcast HD set-top box.
Movies We checked out select scenes from several DVDs, including The Incredibles, Moulin Rouge, Seabiscuit, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Casablanca (for black-and-white performance).
Test discs We used industry standard, hi-res test patterns (from discs such as AVIA and Digital Video Essentials) to evaluate contrast ratio, white field uniformity, color accuracy, peak brightness, geometry, and overscan. We used the same discs to calibrate the TVs prior to testing.
Pioneer PDP-4350HD
Even if you find a deal, the Pioneer is one pricey plasma. But that’s practically all there is to complain about. This 43-incher (Pioneer doesn’t make a 42) scored best-in-class on almost every video metric we measured. An impressive contrast ratio made The Incredibles pop off the screen; the video processing did the best job on material notorious for creating motion artifacts (like the moving diagonal lines in the opening garden scene of Star Trek: Insurrection); and accurate color decoding made Moulin Rouge as vivid as it should be. Add two flavors of video noise reduction, a well-thought-out remote, and a helpful manual, and it’s a near-dream TV. Heck, this thing even looks impressive when turned off.
Wired: MSRP is $7,000, but widely available for about $5,500. Best video processing in the business. Consistent brightness across the panel. Impressive color accuracy.
Tired: Excessive fan noise in the external media receiver (a box that holds all A/V inputs and is tethered to the display panel by a 10-foot cable).
$7,000, www.pioneerelectronics.com
Fujitsu P42HHA40US
Wired: Lost out to the Pioneer only by small margins in contrast ratio and peak light output. Deeply saturated reds. No visible motion artifacts.
Tired: Black bezel surrounding screen is too thin to really make picture leap from the frame. Noticeable picture fuzz, even with noise reduction on.
$5,499, www.plasmavision.com
Samsung HP-R4252
Wired: Good blacks, plus above-average contrast ratio. Has five color temperature choices (the others have three). A unique low-noise amplifier aids weak reception of broadcast inputs.
Tired: Somewhat limey greens. Default gamma curve mode yielded uneven shadow detail.
$3,500, www.samsung.com
Panasonic TH-42PX50U
Wired: Audio leveler minimizes volume shifts when you change channels or video sources. Good color decoding for standard TV broadcasts.
Tired: Blacks not so black. Menu, remote, and overall aesthetic look and feel plain-Jane. Underwhelming, flat-sounding audio.
$3,500, www.panasonic.com
These road-worthy photo printers will spit out hard copies of your vacation digipics before you get home. All work without a PC and are small enough to tuck into a carry-on. - Lisa Cekan
Epson PictureMate Deluxe Viewer Edition
This edition of Epson’s PictureMate improves on the standard-issue model with a pop-up LCD for previewing photos and an optional $70 battery pack for true portability. In our tests, it coughed up a borderless 4 x 6-inch photo straight from a SmartMedia memory card (it supports all major card formats) in 83 seconds flat. The resulting prints featured vibrant color and fine detail. The Deluxe Viewer Edition costs $50 more than the basic unit, but it’s worth it.
Wired: Memory card slots. Low-cost consumables - 100-sheet print pack (including ink) costs just $29.
Tired: Big (10 x 12 x 6.4 inches, 5.5 pounds). Prints only on 4 x 6-inch paper.
$250, www.epson.com
HP Photosmart 385
Wired: Weighs less than 3 pounds. Card slots for most major media formats. Color LCD. Prints one 4 x 6-inch frame or 28 thumbnails per sheet.
Tired: Colors looked dark; reds oversaturated. Expensive consumables ($20 for 50 sheets).
$200, www.hp.com
Sony DPP-FP30
Wired: Tiny dye-sublimation model fits in your palm. Photos have deep, rich tones. Prints on 3 x 5- or 4 x 6-inch paper.
Tired: No on-panel features or card slots; must connect cam. 40-sheet paper/ink pack is $25 (ouch!).
$130, www.sonystyle.com
Canon Selphy CP400
Wired: Pocketable. Cranks out sharp, if slightly dark, photos. Ink and 108 sheets of paper cost $30. Takes credit card-sized paper and 4 x 8-inch sheets.
Tired: No front panel controls or card slots. Optional power adapter for your car costs $110.
$149, www.canonusa.com
This ain’t no Easy-Bake, microwave, or convection oven. Sharp’s AX cooker superheats food with H2O. That’s right - steam, at up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit. According to Sharp, cooking chow this way helps push fat out of meat and keeps it juicy without the need for supplements like butter. We’re believers - it crisped a 5-pound chicken’s skin and left the inside moist and lean. While Sharp’s own recipes (Honey Ginger Shrimp) turned out nicely, Mom’s standards suffered: There wasn’t enough steam to soften artichokes, and a white wine sauce didn’t reduce properly. - Brian Lam
Wired: Microwave-style one-touch cooking.
Tired: Recipes must be adjusted - use less fluid when you need evaporation, and more time for a deep steam. Doesn’t cook any faster than traditional ovens.
Steam Reservoir
A steam generator siphons H2O from a refillable 31/2-cup reservoir and heats it to 212 degrees within two minutes. A second heater can kick the temp to 550.
Heating Element
Need more firepower? The AX has a standard electric heating element you can set to work alone or with the steam engine for baking and roasting.
Controller
In addition to manual adjustments, the oven has idiot-proof auto settings for 20 kinds of vittles, from whole raw chickens to frozen microwave fare.
$1,400, www.sharpusa.com
If your putter looks like something you stole from Goofy Golf, it’s time to upgrade. Today’s flatsticks are a hip fusion of materials science, mechanical engineering, and biophysics, all with one mission: making the blown 3-footer a thing of the past. - Mike Stachura
The Heavy Putter B1
Wired: Adjustable 16- to 19-ounce stainless steel head feels solid, swings smoothly, and keeps off-center hits near hole. Alignment aid helps.
Tired: Klingon warship look is a bit unsettling. Chintzy rubber grip.
$259, www.heavyputter.com
Odyssey White Steel 2-Ball
Wired: Top-notch alignment aid, with lines parallel to the stroke direction and a satin finish. Stainless steel face creates old-school feel. Plush grip.
Tired: Not as forgiving of misaligned putts as other models here.
$215, www.odysseygolf.com
Aserta the Monster
Wired: A body of stainless steel over light aluminum is top-heavy, which seemed to get the ball rolling faster. Grip as comfortable as it gets.
Tired: Alignment aid just cosmetic. Plunky sound when hitting ball.
$200, www.asertasports.com
Scotty Cameron Newport 2
Wired: Club face, made from German stainless steel, is soft and forgiving without being mushy. Familiar shape and design.
Tired: Three bills is a bit much for a rather traditional club.
$300, www.titleist.com
Kicking back and kicking butt - two of our favorite activities. These chairs, many of which come with integrated sound and vibration systems, help you power through all-night tourneys. - Evan Shamoon
The Ultimate Game Chair
Wired: Cushy. Built-in vibration. Headrest speakers can be stereo or rear surround channels. Ottoman.
Tired: Can’t plug headsets into integrated controller. Rumble doesn’t work with external controllers.
$500, www.ultimategamechair.com
PowerPlay 5.1 Pro-Media Chair
Wired: Mega ass-shaking rumble. Logitech 5.1 surround system included. Tired: Costs a freakin’ grand. Not pretty - chrome frame will turn heads, but in the wrong direction.
$999, www.powerplaydevices.com
Pyramat
Wired: Yoga-mat-inspired fold-out lounger is comfy and easily stored. Attached subwoofer substitutes nicely for proper vibration technology.
Tired: Side-mounted speakers fire sound at the walls, not your ears.
$149, www.pyramat.com
HotSeat Solo
Wired: Dolby 5.1 surround sound. Cup holder. Cool sliding frame feels like the cockpit of a race car.
Tired: No optical input. Awkward design means your legs block sound from the front speakers.
$399, www.hotseatinc.com
Pioneer PDP-4350HD
credit Seabiscuit: Universal
Fujitsu P42HHA40US
Samsung HP-R4252
Panasonic TH-42PX50U
Epson PictureMate Deluxe Viewer Edition
HP Photosmart 385
Sony DPP-FP30
Canon Selphy CP400
Sharp’s AX cooker
credit Craig Maxwell
The Heavy Putter B1
credit Craig Maxwell
Odyssey White Steel 2-Ball
credit Craig Maxwell
Aserta the Monster
credit Craig Maxwell
Scotty Cameron Newport 2
The Ultimate Game Chair
PowerPlay 5.1 Pro-Media Chair
Pyramat
HotSeat Solo
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