The Panasonic TH-37PHD8UK , like other Pannys in our plasma HDTV reviews, is an excellent flat panel monitor

(Reviewed 6/10/06) In our plasma HDTV reviews the Panasonic TH-37PHD8UK (resolution 1,024x720), like all of its Panasonic plasma predecessors, delivers excellent black-level performance with no red push thanks to an accurate color decoder.

It has solid video processing with 2:3 pull-down and independent memory for each input. There are numerous picture adjustments with customizable inputs.

Keep in mind that this is one of Panasonic’s industrial models. As you’ve seen in our other plasma HDTV reviews this means there’s limited connectivity options and the plasma is basic in its design. There’s no tuner included but you can use your cable or satellite box and this plasma has no aspect-ratio control with HD sources.

As noted in our other plasma HDTV reviews the downside to this Panasonic plasma TV is that it’s a no frills flat panel. You’ll need your own speakers, tuner and stand ($179 list). It also doesn't have as many inputs (no digital input) as a typical consumer plasma.

This plasma’s native resolution isn't high enough to display every last pixel of the lowest-resolution HDTV format but you'd only notice this on much larger plasma (50 inch or better).

Notable Features: Dual-tuner PIP (picture-in-picture), POP (picture-outside-picture), video-over-PC mode, four choices of aspect ratio for standard-def, but none for HDTV sources, 4X Zoom mode that splits the screen into zones. This allows you to magnify the images as much as 400 percent.

Connections: All necessary analog video inputs, you can add input boards of different types to customize the panel to your viewing needs. The Panasonic TH-37PHD8UK plasma TV can support a maximum of three inputs: one VGA-style computer input and two interchangeable slots that can support optional input boards.

This flat panel TV ships with both slots filled, one with a five BNC connections that can be configured for either RGBHV or component-video (to connect RCA-style component-video cables, you'll need to get inexpensive BNC-to-RCA adapters), the other with an S-Video and composite-video input along with stereo audio.

Conclusion: Again as noted in our other plasma HDTV reviews if you can live with its limited features and connectivity the bare-bones Panasonic TH-37PHD8UK plasma TV is one of the best small-screen plasmas (at 37 inches diagonally) on the market today.

The Panasonic TH-37PHD8UK plasma TV offers excellent picture quality and is inexpensive. This plasma has a solid selection of picture-enhancing features and the superior ability to deliver deep blacks, accurate colors, with solid video processing. It’s one of the standout flat panel monitors in our plasma HDTV reviews.