Panasonic TC-P54V10 Plasma TV Review

What would watching high definition television be without having the right screen size? For some people a 50 inch plasma TV is too small and a 58 inch one is too big or expensive. Panasonic has come to their help, by putting together Panasonic TC-P54V10, an expensive, but competitive 54 inch plasma TV, that has all that matters and more. Not few are the voices claiming that this Panasonic TC-P54V10 plasma TV is the best right now, especially with Pioneer Kuro Elite out of the picture. At first glance, you may not see many differences between Panasonic TC-P54V10 and the step-down TC-P54G10 counterpart, but the first comes with an extensive set of features and exceptional picture quality that no one saw in all the other series up to V10. Truth be told, for some, the differences might not seem that many or that important, however if you want the best 54 inch plasma TV out there, Panasonic TC-P54V10 is definitely it.

Note: This review covers Panasonic TC-P54V10 briefly. If you would like to know more about this model you should also read Panasonic TC-P50V10 review which takes an in-depth look at the 50 inch model from the same series. Since both TC-P54V10 and TC-P50V10 are part of the same Panasonic V10 series, they share the same characteristics.

Features at a Glance

• New NeoPDP panel from 2009 – offers improved performance over the previous panels
• 1080p Native Resolution
• 40,000:1 contrast ratio (2,000,000:1/Infinity dynamic contrast ratio)
• THX certification
• New AR (anti reflective) Filter
• 24p cinema mode for 1080p/24 playback of Blu-Ray content
• Digital Cinema Color
• VIERA CAST interactive services
• VIERA Image Viewer with AVCHD Playback
• VIERA Link
• 600Hz Sub-field Drive
• 4 HDMI inputs

Overall Performance

The company did its best when designing this new series. Graced with the new NeoPDP eco friendly panel, the one sheet of glass looks, and a complete set of interactive features, Panasonic TC-P54V10 also adds value by extensive connectivity options, competitive video processing capabilities, and amazing black levels. All in all, its performance can hardly be equaled by any other plasma TV on sale these days, and the price attached to it should not take anyone by surprise.

Black Levels

Picture quality relies on great black levels, and Panasonic TC-P54V10 does not lack at all in this respect. Even if there is almost no difference between this model and the G10 series, and it is still not exactly on par with Kuro’s black levels, Panasonic TC-P54V10 provides only excellence when it comes to black level performance and shadow detail, providing a realistic watching experience. Compared to Samsung UN55B8500 LED LCD TV, which is its direct competitor from the LCD family of televisions, it has very similar black levels. Yes, an LCD TV eventually managed to match the blacks of a top-of-the-line plasma TV. However, while UN55B8500 offers equally deep black levels when seen perpendicularly, if you look at it from an angle, its blacks and colors suffer a significant drop in quality. In other words, if you have a big family that is spread around the couch or you will watch your TV from an angle, Panasonic TC-P54V10 is a much better choice.

Colors

It is true that Panasonic TC-P54V10 comes with THX certification, but this does not mean that you cannot play with the color settings to bring them around where you want them to be. Color accuracy is mostly great, doubled by an incredible color gamut, but issues may still be encountered in non-THX modes, determining you to tweak a little more. Theoretically at least, TC-P50V10 does not have the best colors out there, some Samsung, Sony and LG’s LH90 HDTV models performing better compared to TC-P54V10 (especially when TC-P54V10 is not in THX mode). However, in real life the sensation is that TC-P54V10 looks much better, and that is because the exceptional black levels make the colors more vivid and life-like.

Video Processing

No high definition content is barred for Panasonic TC-P54V10, as it can handle anything with grace and excellence. For 1080p/24 video content, you may want to take advantage of the 96Hz mode, which is the best, totally artefact free, unlike the other modes – 48Hz and 60Hz – that may cause hitching to appear. Any other high definition sources, such as 1080p and 1080i, are handled without any problems by this model, making it a top HDTV.

SDTV Performance

Average is the word to describe Panasonic TC-P54V10’s abilities to render standard definition content on its screen. The image is not as sharp as it is supposed to, and minor artefacts, such as jaggies, still appear, making standard definition programs look less than wished for.

Conclusion

Panasonic TC-P54V10 is better than G10 models, and it does have more features to go around, and not only to justify the difference in price. Positive remarks are far more than negative ones, and only minor issues may hinder buyers with enough leeway to keep their hands off this jewel. Amazing black levels, incredible color range, great video processing, extensive connectivity, they are all reasons for considering Panasonic TC-P54V10 the best plasma TV released in 2009.