Panasonic deserves a lot of credit for continuing to improve plasma TV picture quality while simultaneously lowering prices. If you compared this TH-50PZ85U side by side to a 50" plasma from a few years ago, you'd probably be quite surprised at the difference. These "PZ85" models deliver high-impact images with velvety blacks and an ultra-high contrast ratio of 30,000:1. And that's the "native" contrast ratio, which is a better indicator of real-world performance than the more common "dynamic" spec.