Buyer's Guide: The Best 50" and Above Televisions

The perfect TV should display accurate colours, have a high contrast level and be responsive enough to keep fast action looking smooth. It should also use as little power as possible. Here are a few things to look out for when shopping for a new TV:

- LCD or plasma? Contrary to what you may think, LCD and plasma screens offer very similar levels of picture quality these days. LCD TVs do, however, tend to be more energy efficient and come in slimmer casings. Plasma screens, on the other hand, have wider viewing angles and ensure perfectly consistent results across the display.

- Colour fidelity. This is one of the most important things to look for in a TV. Out of the box, most TVs aren't configured properly, but switching to Cinema or Movie mode usually sorts things out.

- Contrast. Contrast is measured as a ratio between the intensity of the white and the depth of the black reproduced by a given TV. The higher the contrast ratio, the better the onscreen image will look. Anything from 2000:1 upwards will really bring out the best in onscreen pictures. Blacks will look nice and deep at 0.07 cd/m² or lower.

- 3D picture quality. There are two different types of 3D technology—active and passive. The advantage of active technology is that is displays a Full HD 3D image, while passive technology halves the overall resolution. However, the glasses required for passive 3D are cheaper and more comfortable, as they don't have any built-in electronics or batteries.

With these factors in mind, here's our pick of the best 50'' (127 cm) and above televisions out there right now.

Editor's Choice

Although the Panasonic VT30 is no better than the older VT20, it still ensures excellent picture quality in both 2D and 3D. Panasonic has, however, put a lot of work into making it look better, and that's certainly paid off in this updated model.

Two Alternatives

Best of the Rest

Here are a few more of our favourites.