I’m still sifting through a few weeks of unopened mail, but noticed Engadget and Gizmodo discussing HDTV reviews in the latest issue of Consumer Reports. Low and behold, after flipping through the mag, it turns out my Panasonic plasma is their top rated 42″ set. It’s certainly the nicest television I’ve ever owned and looks much better (with fast, natural motion – think sports) than the 40″ 720p Samsung LCD I was considering. The higher-end Samsung LCDs at this size received similar scores to my plasma, though I suspect that is partially due to support for 1080p. On the higher end of the spectrum, CR calls the 50″ Panasonic 700U the “the best flat screen ever tested” – though it’ll set you back ~$2900. The larger equivalent of my set took second place in the 50″ category and clocks in at ~$1700.