Plasma TV Model Numbers Explained

Reviewer: Phil Connor

Copyright © 2007 PlasmaTVBuyingGuide.com. All Rights Reserved.

Sometimes it gets frustrating attempting to understand what all those numbers and letters mean in Plasma TV Model Numbers. We set out on a little expedition recently to figure out what's behind those cryptic model delineations, and here's a look at what we found:

Pioneer Plasma TV

Pioneer PDP-434CMX

PDP: Plasma Display Panel
43: 43" diagonal screen measurement
4: 4th Generation Plasma Display Panel
CM: computer monitor
X: Up to XGA resolution capability

This model is the same as the Pioneer PRO930HD ELITE:

PRO: is an ELITE consumer designation (as in Pro AV)
9xx: The first model in this line was the PRO800HD; the 800 probably referred to the set's contrast ratio of 800:1
30: The "3" in 30 most likely refers to the 4th Generation Plasma Panel (since the series began with "800" instead of "810"
HD: means High Definition, referring to the unit's native pixel resolution

Pioneer PDP-4360HD

PDP: Plasma Display Panel
43: 43" diagonal measurement
HD: High definition.
60: Again, this probably made more sense in earlier models as a reference to the panel generation, but Pioneer has tweaked the numbers over the years.

NEC Plasma Displays

NEC 42XM4

42: 42" Screen Size
X: XGA Native Resolution
M: NEC began with their earliest PDP models described as "Multimedia" displays
4: 4th Generation plasma display panel. Note that the 50" models arbitrarily add an extra number here: The 4th-Gen. 50" model is the 50XM5

NEC 42XR4

This is the same as the 42XM4, but with the "R" designating NEC's Residential consumer line.

Panasonic Plasma TV

Panasonic TH-42PWD8UK

TH: The TH used to designate Panasonic's professional broadcast line; now they've applied it to all plasma models.
42: 42" screen size.
PWD: Plasma Wide Display referring to the unit's 853 x 480 native pixel resolution and 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio 8: 8th-Generation plasma display panel
U: designates goods to be sold in the United States K: The last letter refers to the factory in which these plasmas were made.

Panasonic TH-42PHD8UK

Same as the 42PWD model, except the PHD refers to Plasma High Definition.

Panasonic TH-42PD60U

42: 42" plasma screen
PD: Plasma Display
60: Panasonic only started including the PDP Generation in the "4UY" models; these are really the same 8th-Generation panels used in the 8UK series.
U: Again refers to models intended for US sale

Panasonic TH-42PX60U

Same as the PD60 model, except the "X" refers to the XGA HDTV resolution.

Toshiba Plasma TV

Toshiba 42HP95

42: 42" plasma screen
H: High Definition
P: Plasma display
95: The 5 should refer to a 5th-Gen. product, the other number was added in arbitrarily as early as the 42HP83 model.

Toshiba 42HPX95

Same as above, except Toshiba uses the "X" to disinguish their flagship "Cinema Series" line.

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