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Panasonic TC-P50S1 Review

The new Panasonic TC-P50S1 Plasma TV

One main reason why people go for LCD HDTVs today is because they use less electricity compared to their plasma counterparts. But with the Panasonic TC-P50S1 from the Viera S1 Series, Panasonic aims to reduce the electricity consumed by plasma HDTVs to about the same as LCD HDTVs.

Design

The design of the Panasonic TC-P50S1 is similar to past models of Panasonic except that the corners and edges are more rounded. Its screen is surrounded by a black glossy frame that is only interrupted by the Vierra and Panasonic logos, an indicator light and the power button. But these hardly distract you from appreciating its simple and elegant design. The speakers are cleverly hidden, adding to the TC-P50S1’s appeal.

The remote control that comes with the TC-P50S1 is not illuminated like other brands, but its buttons have unique shapes that allow you to easily tell the difference between each button without having to glance at them. The system menu is pretty much the same as the previous models with some minor adjustments, but still retains its simplicity, making it very easy to find and toggle between various options.

Screen/Picture Clarity

The Panasonic TC-P50S1 produces some of the deepest blacks you’ll find among plasma HDTVs. One downside, though, is the not too accurate colors which, unfortunately, cannot be adjusted too well with the system menu. Despite this drawback, the picture quality of the TC-P50S1 is still very good compared to other models.

Another feature which boosts the picture quality of the TC-P50S1 is the Full-Time 1080 TV Lines Moving Picture Resolution. When dealing with fast moving pictures, some HDTVs reduce the number of lines it displays to help cope with the pace. The downside to this is that the picture becomes blurry during fast moving scenes, but with the Full-Time 1080 TV Lines Moving Picture Resolution, the Panasonic TC-P50S1 is able to display the full 1080 lines during fast moving scenes, giving you crisper pictures throughout the whole show.

Features

The main feature of the Panasonic TC-P50S1 is the reduced power consumption. Compared to other plasma TVs, the TC-P50S1 uses much less electricity, which means more savings on your electric bill. It also comes with three HDMI connections and several other popular connections like s-video, standard AV inputs and even an SD card slot which you can use to showcase your photos straight from you digital camera. It does not come with a VGA or PC input connection, though, so you may need a converter or a computer with HDMI output to connect your computer.

The Vierra Link is another feature of the TC-P50S1, which is Panasonic’s way of integrating all your HDMI capable devices so that you do not have to go through the trouble of turning on each device and setting up each one. With the Vierra Link, all you need to do is push one button and your HDTV, Blu-Ray player and high definition speakers all turn on and are ready for use. All you have to do is pop in your favorite movie and get some popcorn.

Despite the less than accurate colors and lack of PC input, the TC-P50S1 is still a very good choice for a plasma HDTV. Its low power consumption, great picture quality and full 1080 lines during fast moving scenes are enough to make this plasma HDTV worth considering. These features, combined with the option to control your high definition home theater with just a touch of a button, definitely make the Panasonic TC-P50S1 a worthy competitor in HDTVs.

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Panasonic TC-P50G10 Review

The Panasonic TC-P50G10

Many new models of HDTVs today are similar to the lower numbered models with just a few added touches. Some may have a new look. Others may have a new feature, while those with ground breaking technology usually come with a hefty price tag. The Panasonic TC-P50G10, though, comes with so many new features that make it stand out on its own. In addition, these new features come with a price tag that many people would find agreeable.

Design

The designers at Panasonic were able to reduce the overall size of the Panasonic TC-P50G10, creating a much more compact HDTV. This HDTV comes very close, in terms of size, to Panasonic’s 46″ TH46PZ800, making it more appealing to people who do not have the space for one of the other 50″ HDTVs.

The remote control is about the same as previous remote controls with the exception of a few added buttons, such as buttons to quickly access the Viera Link, the Viera Cast (a new feature from Panasonic), and the Viera Tool which gives direct access to the HDTV’s SD card functions, energy saving settings and other features. The system menu is the same as with previous models, so previous Panasonic users are sure to feel at ease.

Screen/Picture Clarity

The TC-P50G10 comes with the latest Neo PDP panel, which makes it capable of full motion resolution. This means that movies with plenty of high speed chases or fast moving objects do not become blurry. This HDTV is also THX certified, conforming to the 2008 display standard set by THX for home video. With such a certification, the Panasonic TC-P50G10 provides very vivid colors and picture quality especially when watching HD content.

Traditionally, with plasma HDTVs, your main concern would be the ambient light in the room which can ruin your viewing experience. But due to the Neo PDP panel, such worries are nonexistent as this HDTV is still able to display crisp images even in the brightest of rooms. Reflections on the screen are also taken care of by the improved anti-reflective filter which takes care of them while keeping the colors from the screen unaffected. The TC-P50G10 also has the ability to enhance the quality of standard definition content. Though it is not able to convert standard definition content into HD content, this HDTV makes viewing standard definition content more enjoyable by eliminating jagged edges and other visual distractions.

Features

Compared to LCD HDTVs, plasma HDTVs consume more power, but with the Neo PDP panel and preset energy saving settings of the TC-P50G10, power consumption has been greatly reduced. A new feature that comes with this HDTV is Panasonic’s Viera Cast. The Viera Cast enables the HDTV to connect to the internet and access pictures from Google’s Picasa to show off your pictures from your latest vacation. The Viera Cast also allows the HDTV to show videos straight from YouTube, which is a very useful feature especially since YouTube has started to offer Hollywood movies and the newest TV shows legally. The only downside to this feature is that only content from Picasa and YouTube can be accessed from the internet. This HDTV also comes with Panasonic’s tradmark feature, Viera Link, that allows you to synchronize all your HD equipment with just a touch of a button.

The Panasonic TC-P50G10 comes with two HDMI inputs and two component video inputs, along with s-video and component inputs. It also has an ethernet connection for the Viera Cast feature. On the side of the HDTV are component inputs where a video camera can be attached, a PC input where a computer can be connected to, and an SD card slot for viewing pictures straight from your digital camera’s SD card.

Indeed the TC-P50G10 is packed with new features and improved picture quality, allowing this HDTV to hold its own against other high end HDTVs. With such amazing features included, one would expect a high price tag for such a high performing HDTV, but Panasonic recently lowered its price, making it truly worth considering. So don’t settle for last year’s models by saving a few dollars. Invest just a bit more and you can get real value for your money with the Panasonic TC-P50G10.

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Samsung PN50A760 Review

The Samsung PN50A760

Even though LCD TVs are currently outshining plasma TVs in the world of HDTV, plasma TVs are still a good choice. In fact, plasma TVs still have better black colors and have wider viewing angles compared to LCD TVs. One product that shines pretty bright is the Samsung PN50A760.

Design

Taking a step away from traditional TV design, Samsung has come up with the Touch in Color, which features a reddish tinge in the frame of the PN50A760. As of now the Touch of Color is only available in red, though it still provides a break from the more commonly seen black frame. Another handy feature is the swivel stand that many HDTVs including high end models lack. While not the most innovative nor the most recent technological breakthrough, this feature is certainly convenient since it helps you rotate your HDTV without much effort.

The remote control that comes with the PN50A760 is one of the remote controls that Samsung completely redesigned. The buttons are larger and are now backlit. In addition, a “Tools” button is available for quick access to the HDTV’s setup menu and other features. The system menu is also one of the easiest to navigate around. Good color combinations make menu choices easily readable and Samsung added help text at the bottom of the screen for each menu item. In addition to this, the remote is also programmable so you can customize it anyway you want.

Screen/picture clarity

The Samsung PN50A760 has a Full HD 1080p plasma screen which is the standard of today’s HDTVs. It also comes with a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 which provides deeper blacks and brighter whites compared to other HDTVs. Other features that provides the PN50A760 with superior picture quality include the Ultra Filter Bright technology which provides vibrant colors and crisp images, as well as the anti-glare filter which greatly reduces reflections that can distract you from your viewing pleasure. All these features coupled with the excellent handling of fast motion and wide viewing angle definitely makes the PN50A760 a worth while contender in HDTVs.

Since the PN50A760 is a plasma TV, it can be susceptible to burn-in but don’t worry, it comes with utilities designed to deal with this issue, such as an adjustable pixel shift which moves the image slowly and subtly on the screen.

Features

The PN50A760 comes with three adjustable picture modes and three additional picture presets which can be accessed through the setup menu. There are also three varieties of noise reduction and five color temperature presets. Surprisingly enough, it also comes with scenic photos, recipes, exercises and childrens activities which can be accessed through the remote’s “Content” button, though this are not yet available to be updated. It also comes with a side-mounted USB port, an Ethernet or LAN port that allows you to hook up the HDTV to a home network, 4 HDMI ports and a variety of other connections that allow you to connect a wide range of gadgets like a digital camera, DVD player, Blu Ray player or even a computer.

With all these features, the PN50A760 certainly proves that plasma TVs are still very viable competitors to LCD HDTVs. Though a bit on the expensive side, the Samsung PN50A760 certainly provides great picture quality that is certainly very easy to set up and use, making it worth every penny.

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