Panasonic TC-P54S1 Plasma TV Review

It was quite daring for Panasonic to grant a 54 inch plasma TV for the S1 series, but it was right to do so, as, through Panasonic TC-P54S1, the company has managed to offer a reliable model, at a reasonable price, at a size that can be installed in larger rooms. People with plenty of money may want to go for a different Panasonic plasma TV, coming in 54 inches, like TC-P54V10 or TC-P54G10 models, because Panasonic TC-P54S1 lacks THX certification, fancy Viera Cast services, or 24p cinema mode, but, if you only want a good quality large plasma with a reasonable price, this one is the right purchase for you.

Note: If you want to see a bit more information about this TV, you should also read Panasonic TC-P50S1 Review. That review also covers features, design and connectivity, as opposed to this one, which covers only the most important aspects related to picture quality.

Brief Specifications

• New, improved NeoPDP panel
• 1080p native resolution
• 40,000:1 native contrast ratio
• 6144 shades of gradation
• New AR (anti-reflective) filter

Performance

The company has invested plenty of new technologies in the S1 series. Panasonic TC-P54S1 features the same amazing black levels as V10 and G10, a new screen, and 1080p resolution. All these traits make this mid level plasma TV to be more than you pay for, with excellent picture quality and great high definition decoding capabilities. Minor issues do occur, and, if you consider paying more to get better quality than this, go for a V10 model or a G10 plasma TV. Otherwise, you will not be fooled, and you will get a great quality product for a fraction of the money you would spend otherwise.

Black Levels

It is very important to have a plasma TV with great levels of black, because this aspect is influential of the colors, the shadow detail, and overall picture quality. The company has invested a lot into making the blacks on its 2009 plasma the best to go around. Panasonic TC-P54S1 can really boast about its black level performance, with ink like blacks, amazing shadow detail, that can almost compete with the quality ever seen so far only on Kuro from Pioneer, no longer to be found on the shelves.

Colors

No amazing things can be said of Panasonic TC-P54S1’s colors, but no bad words either. While for a product with so many good traits, one would also expect the colors to be over the top, the model has some minor issues that the company has not yet solved. Green is especially the culprit, as it sometimes mingles with the skin tones when such images are displayed on the screen, giving a little unhealthy hue, and, sometimes, the colors become a little washed out around the edges.

Video Processing (HDTV Performance)

Its 1080p resolution grants Panasonic TC-P54S1 the power to be an excellent HD performer. It can easily decode 1080p and 1080i video sources, and it does act as an excellent HDTV. Because it also features the 600Hz sub field drive, motion blur is totally non-existent, and the image is crisp and clear, even when fast moving sequences are involved. Whether you watch HDTV broadcasts on cable or satellite TV, or you connect it to your Blu-Ray player, TC-P54S1 will deliver a beautiful HD picture.

SDTV Performance

People still like to watch standard definition programs and regular DVDs, which means that HDTVs do need to perform well in the area. Unfortunately, Panasonic TC-P54S1 is not the best when it comes to this, and the image rendered on the screen is softened and not sharp as it is supposed to be. It does have, however, good noise reduction features, and most artefacts are avoided, except for some jaggies around diagonal lines. Samsung mid-end or high-end models outperform Panasonic in this area, so if most of the time you want to watch movies on your DVD player, you might also want to check out the Samsung HDTV reviews on our site.

Conclusion

When looking for a plasma TV with great capabilities, but you are not willing to spend loads of cash for it, Panasonic TC-P54S1 should be on your list. Featuring 54 inches, great black levels, and overall great picture quality, this plasma is a mid range product that delivers, even over what it asks as far as the price is concerned.