The Vizio VM60PHDTV's suggested retail price of $2,500 should be reason enough to get budget plasma shoppers scrambling to get their hands on this 60-inch monster. Aspects of this HDTV are certainly impressive, especially the price, but be aware that choosing this unit requires you to make some inevitable price-versus-quality trade-offs.

Despite the huge screen, the sleek lines of the VM60PHDTV prevent it from appearing in the least bit bulky. This Vizio offers a screen size and price tag you might expect from a rear-projection HDTV, but at just 4-9/10 inches deep and with a modest footprint, it won't overwhelm the average living room. Unfortunately, Vizio may have misfired when selecting the cabinet color. While we welcome tasteful alternatives to the traditional black and silver home theater color scheme, the bronze finish of the VM60PHDTV is less likely to complement other components in your home theater, not to mention your room's decor.

Once you power on the 60-inch screen, however, the bronze coloring matters far less. Like Vizio's smaller P50HDTV, the VM60PHDTV has a native resolution of 1,366x768. Whether you're viewing HD programming, standard-definition content, a DVD or material from a PC, all incoming signals are scaled to display at 720p. Considering the price, the VM60PHDTV offers notable picture quality. Flesh tones appear natural and colors accurate, and while the black levels could be better, they are adequate for plasma set in this price bracket. Like the smaller Vizio model, this set has some problems with false contouring artifacts. You also need to allow sufficient distance between the screen and your seating position, because if you sit too close, image noise can become distracting.

For a budget model, the VM60PHDTV packs some impressive features and connectivity options. Four HDMI inputs give you high-quality connections for all of your digital components. The unit also has two composite video inputs, two S-video inputs, two component video inputs, an optical digital audio output for routing sound to a home theater receiver and a VGA analog input for displaying PC content on the big screen. The VM60PHDTV provides three color temperature presets, although these can't be set independently for different content sources. Useful features include PIP, and the 20-watt-per-channel stereo deliver sufficient but not spectacular audio.

While this plasma HDTV is straightforward to configure and set up on the included pedestal stand, at 179 pounds, the sheer weight of the VM60PHDTV means that you'll need some burly bodies to ensure safe installation. The unit can also be wall-mounted, of course, but because of the weight, we would recommended seeking out professional installation.

If you are a budget shopper seeking a huge screen at a price that won't break the bank, the Vizio VM60PHDTV 60-inch plasma HDTV is an excellent value.


Pros: Huge 60-inch plasma screen, four HDMI inputs, solid picture quality for the price, PIP
Cons: Some false contouring and image noise, not the darkest blacks, very heavy

Warranty
1 year, limited