Some things in life may be substitutable -- fine dinners can be sufficiently replaced with Top Ramen, high-end kicks can be swapped out for homegrown sandals, and that luxury whip can be exchanged for a jalopy. Apparently, one thing that simply can't be done without even in "tough economic times" is HDTV. Based on a recent survey from PriceGrabber (which, admittedly, shouldn't be taken very seriously), 73% of non-HDTV owners that responded said that they were forging ahead with plans to snag an HDTV within the next 12 months. Granted, such a figure really isn't all that shocking -- after all, the looming digital transition is the perfect excuse to splurge, and prices are apt to be at an all time low this Black Friday. Trust us folks, 720p+ is worth the sacrifice.

[Image courtesy of StarTribune]

Motion blur has been a big topic in the world of HDTV for as long as we can remember, but it wasn't until recently that someone figured out a way to test it in a non-subjective way. Our friend Gary Merson -- aka the HD Guru -- actually got his hands on 125 2008 model HDTVs and not only ran them through all the more traditional tests like 3:2 pull-down, and de-interlacing, but also tried out his resolution motion loss test that indicates how many lines of resolution a set is capable of displaying when there is motion -- yeah, so like most of the time. For the most part Pioneer plasmas ruled the charts at about 900 lines, as expected, but the real surprise is that the ultimate winner was the Samsung LN-46A950 -- in fact it was the only 1080 set to actually display all 1080 lines when there was motion (but only in one specific setting, other settings were as low as 330 lines!). What's more of a reason for 46A950 fans to rejoice in is that most 120Hz LCDs were closer to 600 lines, so it really is in a league of its own in regards to LCDs. These stats are fun and all, but we'd like to remind you while you download the PDF and check ou the specs on the latest sets, that specs seldom ever tell the whole story, so we still recommend buying with your eyes instead of a spec sheet.

LG first showcased its THX-stamped 60PG60 at CES 2008, thought it just recently rolled off the production line and into homes everywhere. CNET was able to fit one of these suckers into its offices for review, and while it wasn't the perfect 60-inch plasma, it definitely made a positive impression. Critics found the primary colors in THX mode to be "highly accurate," the video processing to be "solid" and the feature set to be "superb." Design and port assortment were also applauded, and overall image quality was respectable. On the downside, the color decoding and grayscale in THX mode was less accurate, and sadly, it produced lighter blacks than other PDPs in its class. All in all, it wound up with an above-average 3.5 out of 5 stars, but unless you're partial to LG (or George Lucas), you may still be better off with a Philips KURO.

Hitachi is the latest manufacturer looking towards the door as the party at plasma's house is winding down, and the cost cutting isn't surprising in light of the company's steep losses on plasma TVs. Just to spare plasma's feelings, though, it has agreed to buy some panels from Panasonic (which looks to be last man standing at the dwindling party). It's hard to see the move as anything but inevitable -- as LCDs take over and OLEDs ramp up, Hitachi's 7.5-percent stake in the plasma market isn't the issue, it's the shrinking overall plasma market that's the problem (matched only by the thinning physical profiles). UltraThin, 1.5-inch thick plasmas or no, we wouldn't be surprised to see a complete exit from the plasma market in the foreseeable future.

On the whole, we'd say KURO plasma owners are pretty stoked about their sets. Those who'd prefer a KURO-branded LCD, however, have been waiting anxiously to hear something more from ole Pioneer for months. Thankfully, the firm has finally spoken, and while it doesn't mention any brand / model names specifically, we can assume that those LCD HDTVs we saw emerge in Europe will be gracing US shores in mere months. During the first half of 2009, Pioneer LCD HDTVs will be loosed in North America and Asia, and unless plans change, the panels within will actually be supplied by Sharp. Might we be on the lookout for a sneak peek at CES '09?

Pioneer got official with its 50-inch KRP-500A and 60-inch KRP-600A over in Europe earlier this summer, and just as each set got set to ship, the firm felt it necessary to bring 'em to Japan. Best of all, AkihabaraNews was able to see just how deep those blacks really were at a recent press event, and it was kind enough to host up a plethora of photographs for us common folk to gaze at. If we just rang your bell, pop down into the links below for specs and images galore.

Read - Camera flash, capture Pioneer's new plasmas
Read - Formal introduction in Japan

Originally unwrapped at CEDIA (and just now made official), Panasonic's TH-65VX100U is a 1080p behemoth aimed specifically at the "high-end custom home theater enthusiast." It becomes the first in the outfit's line of Premiere Series models and features a 60,000:1 contrast ratio (with an "industry-leading gradation level of 7,160 steps"), 18-bit digital signal processing, 16 adjustment menus and a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) panel. This living room centerpiece is currently on track for a January release, though there's no telling how badly it'll hurt your wallet when the time comes.

Home Theater magazine got its hands on Pioneer's 60-inch KURO PDP-6020FD plasma, and surprise, surprise -- it's the set to beat for now. By now, KURO black levels and contrast are so well established that not much ink needs to be spilled over them, except to say that the ninth generation 6020FD bested the reigning champ Elite PRO-150FD, but the review does a good job of finding nits to pick. Most notably, infinitely tweakable parameters like color temperature and sharpening are missing; we're guessing these are design choices made to leave room for the Pioneer Elite models. We have to wonder, though, how many high-end plasma shoppers (at $5500, are there any other kind?) will be willing to give up full calibration capability.

Runco's booth at CEDIA this year wasn't nearly as outlandish as SpeakerCraft's, but it definitely had an outdoor vibe to it. Curiously, all of the outfit's newly announced kit wasn't out for viewing, but the flagship 70-inch Crystal Series CX-70DHD (and its external DHD video controller / processor) was hard to miss. Now, if only affording one was as easy as browsing the gallery...

For the most part, Runco stays pretty quiet in the consumer realm... until CEDIA rolls around. Once again, the high-end AV company is firing on all cylinders in Denver, announcing seven new 1080p LCD / plasma displays including its largest LCD to date, the 70-inch Crystal Series CX-70DHD (pictured). Along with the new panels, the outfit is unveiling its exclusive OPAL (Optical Path Alignment) technology on select models which "delivers extreme glare reduction and enhanced contrast for high ambient light environments." The aforesaid 70-incher (shipping mid-October for $34,995) actually comes bundled with an external DHD video controller / processor, which incorporates Runco's Vivix II tech to "enhance all digital and NTSC content to near high-definition quality." We'll admit, that sounds an awful lot like something Toshiba's got going on just a few booths over, but make of it what you will. For details on the other half dozen sets, hop on past the break.

They said they were going to do it, and do it they did. While Samsung's tru2way "demonstration" was barely more than a hack job used to show off what the technology was about, Panasonic demoed the real deal at its CEDIA booth. The 50-inch TH-50PZ80Q plasma contained a real CableCARD (yes, we checked) and was receiving a live signal from Comcast. Denver is just one of a few markets where tru2way is theoretically ready to rock, and according to a Panny rep, the set we saw today is a production unit that will ship sometime "later this year." The idea here is to provide buyers with the ability to insert any CableCARD from any carrier (if you move, for example) into an HDTV, thus eliminating the cable company's stranglehold (best known as a "carrier-issued set-top-box") on you. The demo we saw went over very well -- everything was responsive and image quality was excellent. See for yourself in the gallery below.

Panasonic may be pretty proud of its PZ850 VIERA plasma, and while the internet-connected functionality is pretty nifty, this thing needs a serious refacing to be taken seriously. Sorry, but when we're looking at a 1.5-inch thin plasma just a hundred yards over, seeing this plain, bulky and relatively dated looking PDP just doesn't do much for us. Or who knows, maybe our eyes are just deceiving us -- judge for yourself below.

Hitachi's 1.5-inch thick 50-inch plasma wasn't exactly front and center like we had imagined, but it was there garnering stares nonetheless. Donning a glossy white finish and displaying nothing but floral arrangements, the set looked pretty good (though not great) in terms of visual quality. The design, however, was simply stunning. And just as promised, we did include the obligatory iPhone comparison, though you'll have to account for the Belkin skin when drawing your conclusions. Give it a peek in the gallery below.

Those heading to CEDIA, keep your eyes peeled for something never before seen: a Panasonic tru2way plasma connected to the local Comcast cable system. Despite some differing opinions on the two-way cable standard, actually seeing it working off of the same line that could be running to your living room is a big step. On deck for CEDIA is a display of the Comcast EPG and TV on-demand. The downside is all that functionality could add up to a $300 or so premium over non-tru2way HDTVs, although cable companies could help pick up some of that tab with promotions and rebates. We'll get to decide if it's worth it soon, Panasonic VP Bob Perry told CEPro we can expect the 50-incher on display to hit shelves in time for the holiday season.