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Hmmm...

Posted by Joe Murphy Jr on October 8, 2004 at 14:58:40:
Although you didn't specifically mention it, I would recommend not using a computer with a plasma display. Now, if you were using the computer's DVD player to route movies to the plasma, that would be a different story. But for internet and off-line work (or serious gaming, for that matter), my opinion (which several members in the Plasma forum on AVS Forum might disagree with) is to not mix the two.
For the 42" versions, the HD model is the PHD at 1024x768 and the ED model is the PWD at 852x480. Which one you need only you can decide. That 8ft distance just happens to be the HD vs ED gray area (sorry). There are numerous threads on AVS Forum in the Plasma section dedicated solely to this particular topic (two active ones right now).
At 8ft, my advice would be to get the ED model and spend the "saved" money (There never really is any saved money, now is there?) on better components which will be used with the display (DVD player, speakers, receiver, etc). Again, it's really up to you. Don't take anyone's word, because it's your eyes that have to look at the picture. Check out ED vs HD models at that distance in the stores to see if one or the other is the better choice for your eyes.
If you are getting a DVD player with HDMI output, you have to be aware of the HDMI bug (it affects HDMI-to-DVI connections). Not every DVD player suffers from this, but most do. My advice would be to get the HDMI board vs the DVI board if you are going to get an HDMI DVD player, unless you have another source that uses DVI as well as an HDMI source (mo' money, mo' money!). You can read more about this in the DVD Hardware section of AVS or scroll way down in the SACD (Hi-Rez) forum here at AA (the thread is about the new Onkyo SP-1000 Universal player).
An upconverting player, in my experience (I have a Bravo D1), gives a slightly better picture on my 50" 6UY, which is 1366x768, via DVI. The 42" HD model may also show a slightly better picture with an upconverting player. It wouldn't make sense to upconvert for an ED model plasma, though there are a few reasons it might benefit, however. But is it DVI (which is one less A/D and D/A conversion, in most implementations) or the upconverting that is actually the major influence vs an analog component connection?
I believe Panasonic may or did offer an HD version of the 37", but not for the commercial models -- only the consumer models.