These days, I feel like plasma technology is the Rodney Dangerfield of HDTVs. If you look at how LCDs are grabbing market share in the U.S., plasmas get no respect from the general buying public.

I'll admit that I am biased. I prize the production of deep blacks for which plasmas have earned a well-deserved reputation. And when I see a high performance plasma that is value priced like the VIZIO VP505XVT, I must bestow it our Highly Recommended rating.

Since it lacks certain features like Internet connectivity, I would not call this VIZIO a no-compromise HDTV. But if you are simply interested in enjoying prime-time TV and Blu-ray movies on a stunning 50" 1080p plasma display, then at its current street price, the VP505XVT is a no-brainer.

(Editor's Note: At this time, the VP505XVT is only available at Costco.)

Our Star Ratings

Performance: 4.5

With Blu-ray movies, the VP505XVT's picture quality is very strong. Would I like to squeeze a little deeper black out of this plasma? Yes. But I'm pleased with the consistently rich and true colors and sharp imagery. The audio output is above average for integrated speakers.

Features: 4.0

VIZIO never skimps on HDMI inputs (four) and picture-in-picture features (one of the best that I have seen). This late 2008 model still does not offer a USB port for playing photos or music. And there is no Ethernet port for connecting to your home computer network or the Internet.

Ease of Use: 4.5

The default Picture modes provide a good starting point for setup. Tweaking from there is a fairly simple and quick process. Though not highly detailed, the manual is informative and clearly written.

Value: 5.0

We list the current MSRP of the VP505XVT as it appears on the VIZIO website. At the time of this review, Costco is offering the TV at a lower price. Even at the MSRP, this 1080p 50" plasma with its picture quality is a deal worthy of our Highly Recommended rating.

Star Ratings Description

Ratings are relative to when the review was written. The obvious example is Value, what you could purchase for $2000 two years ago or even two months ago would seem like a bad value for that price now. We have given only a precious few 5 Star ratings, which we reserve for truly outstanding accomplishment.

The most distinctive design feature on this VIZIO is the half inch black mask all around the outside edge of the screen. I'm not talking about the normal piano black glossy bezel frame, which is a little over one and a half inches.

Inside the bezel, this mask is separate and is integrated into the glass of the screen. When the TV is on, the image comes right to the edge of the mask. I think it adds a dimensionality to the display that I like.

This almost four inch deep plasma TV is four hands full - and two strong backs - because it weighs 96 pounds with its non-swivel stand. I prefer the flexibility of a TV that rotates on its base, though with plasmas, unlike LCDs, you can sit really far off center and the image does not deteriorate.

A wide viewing angle is the good news with plasmas. Traditionally the bad news was that plasma screens tended to be reflective. Most of the plasmas produced in the last couple of years are implementing non-glare filters which solves much of the reflection problem. And I don't find this VIZIO to be particularly glary.

Right now the TV is turned off and my computer monitor, which is directly facing the VP505XVT, is shining bright. If I turn around, I can see the monitor reflecting in the darkened TV screen. But when I flip on the TV, the monitor can hardly be noticed.

And this next piece of advice holds true for any bright light that is directly reflecting into your plasma - or LCD for that matter. Turn it off if it bothers you, that's what I do with the computer monitor.

Below the screen, a cross-hatched, matte black, (with a hint of red), grille encloses the twin, integrated 10W speakers.

On the right side of this HDTV along the edge of the frame are the basic control buttons. A little farther back on that side are two HDMI inputs. That's it. Usually, there's a small convenience panel with at least a few other connections. Not on this TV.

Everything else is in the back. Unluckily, the designers at VIZIO are stubborn about placing all the sockets facing down. I have a hard enough time attaching HDMI cables when I can see the input slot. On these VIZIO's, it's always a matter of blind groping. At least they color code the connectors, if you are limber enough to see them by craning your neck around a four foot wide TV.

(This diagram of the panel has been split and stacked for the sake of readability.)

As you can see this panel contains two more HDMIs (with one stereo Audio In matched to the HDMI 2 input), one Component In (Y,Pb/Cb,Pr/Cr) with stereo Audio Ins, one Composite In (with a stereo Audio In), one S-Video In, one VGA PC input with an Audio In (stereo mini-jack), one stereo analog Audio Out, and one digital Audio Out (optical).

Notice the three Service Ports. The manual offers no reason for the need for three. It does give an ominous warning, "Use of this input for any purpose other than factory authorized service will void the manufacturer's warranty of this equipment."

The one RF antenna connector links to integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM tuners. Since the tuner system is Clear QAM compatible, you can attach your cable TV signal directly into the RF connector and tune in unscrambled cable stations.

For those concerned about the DTV transition coming up, the ATSC tuner is the key. With the proper antenna, you will be able to tune in digital signals broadcast over the air.

At the Consumer Electronics Show, VIZIO was previewing a number of 2009 models that provide Internet connections to access online content. But these TVs will not be available for at least a few more months. And none of their 2008 TVs, including this VP505XVT, supply this functionality.

Also, this XVT does not provide a USB port or an SD Card reader for accessing photo, music or video files to play on the TV.

VIZIO continues to support picture-in-picture capabilities. In fact, their PIP and POP features are some of the best around. You still cannot combine two over-the-air TV sources side-by-side, but you can display a signal from either the HDMI 1 or 2 input next to an image from either HDMI 3 or 4.

I did run across one oddity when I first pushed the PIP button on the remote. I received a message to check the Parental Control feature. Really?

I admit I was stumped so I called Tech Support. After she walked me through the procedure, she demurely informed me that it was detailed in the manual on page 54. Indeed, it is. Though the manual doesn't explain why I have to turn off Parental Control to use the PIP.

VIZIO's remote controls always seem to be stylish as well as comfortable to use. This silver and black programmable remote supports up to four devices and is backlit when you push any of the buttons. The extra contrast afforded by the light is essential because the labels stenciled on some of the smaller buttons are difficult to read without it.

The EPA is now publishing a list of ENERGY STAR qualified TVs. (You can find it here.) Since this endeavor only started in November 2008, the list is not expansive and the VIZIO VP505XVT is not on the list.

Historically, plasma TVs have been the SUVs of HDTVs, big power guzzlers. I just received an email from the Plasma Display Coalition extolling the energy efficiency of new plasma models. Still, this 50" VIZIO does suck up its share of wattage. The manual states that the average power consumption is 440W.

When I see a high number like that, I have to remind myself that this is a 50" display, which is almost 1.7 times larger than a 42" screen. But even doing the math, this plasma ranks above most Energy Star 3 LCDs.

If you have your abacus handy, you may also wish to calculate an annual cost of running the TV. The formula that the EPA uses assumes that the TV is on five hours a day and in Standby for the other 19.

When we turned Off the VP505XVT, our meter dropped to 0. Let's be conservative and say that Standby Power Consumption is .3W and On mode is 440W. Then the Estimated Annual Energy Use would be 805 kWh/year.

You need to check your electric bill to see how much you are paying for a kWh. The national average is 10.4 cents. Doing the multiplication, at that rate, the yearly energy cost is $83.73 or about seven dollars a month.

If you would like to shave a little bit off the power consumption, some Picture Modes gobble up more electricity than others. For example, the brighter Game and Sports defaults are the worst offenders. The muted Movie mode is the most frugal.

To calibrate the TV, we use the Blu-ray version of the Digital Video Essentials DVD called HD Basics. We are playing the DVD on a Sony BDP-S350 Blu-ray player connected to the HDTV with an HDMI cable.

We use the test patterns to adjust black level, white level, and color bias. The player is set to output a 1080p signal, which is the native resolution of the VP505XVT.

I usually begin by picking a Picture Mode. VIZIO offers five, Custom, Standard, Movie, Game and Sports. I suggest that you cycle through them as you are watching your favorite programs. If you see one that appeals to you, great. Class is dismissed.

Personally, I avoid brighter choices like Game and Sports. Even though Movie tends to be set too warm for me, I am beginning to favor the direction it takes.

For many people, Standard provides a good starting point from which to begin tweaking. I go straight to Custom because I can switch between it and the Standard and Movie defaults for comparison.

Next, I find the Color Temperature control, which is conveniently located in the main Picture menu. Again, four options are available, Cool, Normal, Warm or Custom.

I usually split the difference between the bluish Cool and the reddish Warm and pick Normal. But for reasons that I will discuss later, I picked Cool, which is the default and the 9300K setting. Cool gives a nice crisp white.

Also, in the Advanced Video menu are settings for items like Flesh Tone and Adaptive Luma. When I am doing my initial setup, I turn these Off.

Back to the main Picture menu, I adjusted Brightness up a few notches from the midpoint of 50. Contrast was dialed down a few more turns below 50.

The test patterns indicated that Color (Saturation) should be around 56. When I switched to watching real video, skin tones were too red, so I tamped Color back to around 50. Tint (Hue) was fine.

The Sharpness slider runs from 0 to 7. Beginning at 2, I see fringing on test patterns. I'm not a big Sharpness fan, therefore I lean towards a 0 or 1 setting. If you want to impress your friends on how sharp your TV looks, push it to 4. Any farther and you are venturing into the Artificial zone.

With those basic adjustments, I was more than happy with the picture quality. Afterward, I did experiment with Adaptive Luma and went back and forth between On and Off. My rule is, if I can't decide, then leave it Off.

After ten minutes of setup from beginning to end, I was finished and content, which is good because the only real fine tuning control is nestled in the Color Temperature feature. If you pick Custom, then you are supplied two groups of adjustments, Gain and Offset. Each has Red, Green and Blue sliders.

Simply, the performance is excellent. VIZIO has implemented the well-respected HQV (Hollywood Quality Video) processing technology in the VP505XVT and it delivers.

I just finished watching the replay on my HD DVR of the amazing finish of the Super Bowl. The VIZIO caught the action as well as Larry Fitzgerald and Santonio Holmes nabbed pigskins.

You will read about 120Hz LCDs that are made for fast moving scenes. Well, plasmas like the VP505XVT operate differently than LCDs and this 120Hz discussion does not apply. Basically, plasmas are inherently capable of handling fast motion.

But if you really want to see the VP505XVT show off, pop in the Blu-ray of Speed Racer. From the opening kaleidoscopic Warner Brothers logo, your eyes will be overindulged in cotton candy color.

Now, I also have the Pioneer KURO 6020 plasma in for review and it's sitting a short two feet away from the VIZIO. Even though the Pioneer 60" KURO is quite a bit more expensive than the VP505XVT, I still thought it was informative to feed them both the same signal and compare.

The first thing I noticed was that to match the KURO's default color temperature, I needed to set the VP505XVT's to Cool. Next, KUROs are known as the kings of deep blacks and though the VIZIO acquitted itself well, the crown is still safely in the Pioneer camp.

I froze frames from a number of different Blu-rays and put my nose next to both screens. Occasionally, I could see how the Pioneer was doing a better job of handling fine detail like the fabric on a coat. Often there was no apparent difference in how the TVs rendered an image.

Remember I was inspecting the screens from only a few inches away, definitely not from a normal viewing distance. Let's just say that all but the most discriminating videophile should be pleased with the video performance of the VP505XVT.

I connected my laptop to the TV with a VGA cable. The manual said that this connection was capable of a 1920 x 1080 resolution and indeed, that is what my humble laptop produced. As you may imagine, high resolution photos looked great on this 50" plasma.

The audio output from the integrated speakers is pretty darn good - not home theater great - just prime-time good. I even like the more spacious effect produced by turning on the SRS TruSurround HD feature. Beyond SRS TDHD, VIZIO only provides the basic Treble, Bass, and Balance controls.

If you are in the market for a well-priced, high performance 50" plasma HDTV, look no farther than the VIZIO VP505XVT. It may not have all the bells and whistles, but we believe its video quality earns it our Highly Recommended rating.