Strange days, indeed -- we never would have thought it, but in the second quarter of 2009 plasma was the only large screen (greater than 40-inches) TV technology to show growth in the US market. Compared to the first three months of the year, plasma was up 31-percent in volume and 35-percent in dollars according to research firm Quixel. Take the DTV transition and add in the soft economy, and you've got a recipe for moving low-priced and good-looking 42-inch, 720p plasmas -- a whopping 40-percent more units. Even plasma fanboys like us wouldn't mistake this as a comeback, but we're happy to see evidence that consumers are using their eyes for more than peeping spec sheets when figuring a set's value. The revenue figures clearly show plasma's 50-inch battle line -- a large decrease in 46 - 50-inch 1080p sets was outweighed by gains in 1080p sets larger than 50-inches, and the 237-percent increase in sets 60-inches and up shows the way forward. [Warning - PDF read link]