Flat panels dressed to impress

Men are from Mars, women are from Venus. Not convinced? When was the last time you went TV shopping with your partner in an electronics megastore? While the guys were preoccupied nitpicking on the onscreen picture quality, their fashion-conscious others were probably scouting the floor for the sleek and stylish pieces.

Rather than get yourself embroiled in yet another agonizing Cold War, why not check out the following flat panels with exceptionally high "WAF" or wife acceptance factor? Food for thought: You get to cart home a spanking-new HDTV to go with your PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and she bags herself a nice showpiece which also doubles as a hot tea-time topic. Now isn't that sweet?


Click here for a feature comparison table.

	1.	Sony Bravia KLV-46X350A (46-inch LCD)          This flagship Bravia features a floating panel design centered on a reinforced (with metal rim) clear plastic outer frame. There is also an illuminated Sony logo for that extra touch of class and six bezel colors--black, blue, red, white, silver and gold--to seamlessly blend with your home decor. CNET Asia rating: 8.7 out of 10 The good: Overall sharp and clean pictures; vibrant yet natural colors; smooth 100Hz motion reproduction; beautifully crafted; backlit remote; triple 1080p24-enabled HDMI. The bad: Fixed pedestal stand, remote lacks dedicated input buttons; pricey. The bottom line: The gen-two Bravia X has definitely lived up to its predecessor's reputation in all areas and more. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	2.	Panasonic Viera TH-50PY850 (50-inch plasma)       The TH-50PY850's styling is based on a refreshing-yet-subtle horizontal arch design. Draped in gun-metal, the angled arch is also cleverly used to conceal the onboard stereo speakers and is further accentuated with a mirror finish in the center. For the final touch, Panasonic has gone borderless through its "sheet of glass" framing. This basically eliminates the thick panel frame giving the TV a seamlessly flat front that stands out from their peers. CNET Asia rating: 8.7 out of 10 The good: Generally smooth and clean visuals; Kuro-level blacks and color saturation; brilliant sound quality; almost flawless motion enhancement; four 1080p24-ready HDMIs; optical audio output; onboard JPEG and AVCHD playback; unique one sheet glass design. The bad: Slightly softer pictures due to outer glass internal reflections, remote not very responsive; limited tweaking options; bulky; still a little pricey. The bottom line: This flagship Panasonic Viera plasma is just as good as or even better than the Pioneer LX Kuro in many areas and at a far more reasonable asking price, too. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	3.	Samsung LA46A650A1RXXS (46-inch LCD)   This flat panel is Samsung's latest attempt in aesthetics-driven HDTVs. Possibly its finest design to date, the set oozes style and charms with a mix of familiar sleek bezel and new Crystal Design with a touch of color. From a distance, the TV exhibits an alluring tint of red at different viewing angles. The feminine hue is most prominent near the thin LCD frame edges, tastefully contrasted by transparent borders. CNET Asia rating: 8.4 out of 10 The good: Good black levels and natural colors; clean and sharp pictures; sleek and unique Crystal Design styling; four 1080p24-ready HDMIs; USB port for JPEG/MP3 playback; lit and versatile remote controller; abundant tweaking options. The bad: Stain magnet and stretch prone; mediocre stereo imaging; sound distortion when bass is driven hard; unnatural 100Hz for some film-based materials; pricey. The bottom line: The latest Samsung LA46A50A1RXXS is another fine all-rounder much like the legacy Bordeaux Plus-series. However, it also has some noticeable misses on top of a high sticker price. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	4.	LG 47LG60UR (47-inch LCD)   First take The Scarlet has an astonishingly shallow 79mm depth for its supersized 47-inch screen. Sexy waistline aside, the entire lineup also has a dual persona with a glossy black finish in front and a contrasting yet matching scarlet red for the back. Wrapping up the uniquely different aesthetic concept is a cut-out. A hole punched right through the lower-half chassis lined with LEDs designed to produce a subtle red or white glow, depending on whether it's on standby or in use. First take | See full specs | Rate this
	5.	LG 42PG60D (42-inch plasma)   First take If you're plain tired of the usual protruding panel frame, the 42LG60D's frameless bezel could be a welcome change. Cut from a single sheet of glass, the LG's award-winning "single layer frameless protection" design delivers a seamlessly smooth panel surface. Like most of its siblings, it also features the Mark Levinson-tuned invisible speaker system. This keeps clutter to a bare minimum by shifting the speakers away from the front and probably firing downward. First take | See full specs | Rate this