Panasonic TC-P54G10 Plasma TV Review

For a 54 inch plasma TV, Panasonic TC-P54G10 offers a better deal than the model with the same size from the V10 series. It costs less, even if it is not on par with its counterpart in terms of quality. The thing is that the differences are less important than the similarities, seeing how much you would have to pay for a Panasonic plasma TV that is only better by little, and only in the eyes of the picky customer with a full wallet. Overall, Panasonic TC-P54G10 is a great plasma TV, not as expensive as the V10, but fully packed with the latest features and displaying a great performance that could make its competitors die of envy.

Note: This review is a bit brief, covering only the most important aspects of TC-P46G10. If you would like to find out more about this plasma TV you should also read Panasonic TC-P50G10 review which covers in-depth the 50 inch variant of the same series.

Features at a Glance

• Panel: NeoPDP
• Resolution: 1080p (Full-HD)
• Contrast ratio: 40,000:1 (native)
• THX certification
• AR Filter
• 24p cinema mode
• VIERA Cast features
• VIERA Link
• VIERA Image Viewer with AVCHD playback
• 600 Hz sub-field drive

Performance

In 2009, Panasonic has released many plasma series, starting with low end products, and ending with high end series, like G10 and V10. Only a step behind the V10 series, Panasonic TC-P54G10 display incredible black levels, found on all the plasma TVs released by the manufacturer this year. Little issues are related to some color accuracy problems and the fact that the 48Hz mode is not engaged properly for 1080p/24 video content, but, overall, its performance is above the general criticism.

Black Levels

The company has implemented on Panasonic TC-P54G10 its now famous Infinite Black technology. Because it can shut off the pixels on the screen when a dark scene is displayed on the screen, complete black is achieved, granting the model the best black levels seen on any plasma TV in 2009. This also contributes to the overall level of shadow detail, which is, again, one of the greatest, and to the contrast level, that, in all, make your watching experience an incredibly realistic one.

Colors

Panasonic TC-P54G10 comes with THX certification, which means that its out of the box colors are much improved over the previous series. It appears, however, that not everybody is crazy about the THX feature, which may render the colors in the scenes become a little dim. This may cause even a preference for LCD TVs, which are brighter by their nature. Another problem that may appear is that the colors tend to appear washed out, if you watch TV in a brightly lit room, and from a too large viewing angle. This may be solved through a better anti-reflective screen, which Panasonic has been trying to implement, with average success so far.

Video Processing

Panasonic TC-P54G10 comes with 24p cinema mode included, which means that you can watch video content filmed at 24 frames per second cadence. This is the case with 1080p/24 content from Blu-Ray players which are all the rage these days, and it can be watched on Panasonic TC-P54G10, if you decide to buy one. In case you try to use the 48Hz frequency, you will have a nasty surprise, though, because flicker will appear, ruining your fun. It is recommended to switch to 60Hz mode, and your problem will be solved. Many people really don’t consider this to be a deal breaker, however if you are a big fan of 1080p/24 you might want to consider Panasonic TC-P54V10 instead, which handles 1080p/24 perfectly.

SDTV Performance

Maybe Panasonic TC-P54G10 is not the top performer in the area, but it must be noted that it has some pretty good noise reduction abilities which improve the overall standard definition performance. Do not expect wonders when you watch regular DVDs, though, as the image is not as sharp as on other models, and jaggies still appear around diagonal lines in some scenes.

Conclusion

For a 54 inch plasma, Panasonic TC-P54G10 is totally worth the money. Less expensive than the V10 model in the same category, it offers almost as good performance, with only a few drawbacks to its general performance. If you don’t have the money for a V10 model, and you can leave with the minor issues Panasonic TC-P54G10 has, than you have found yourself the best buy.