Panasonic TC-P50G10 Review

With the G10 series release, Panasonic proved its serious intentions of taking over the plasma TV market in 2009. Although this Panasonic plasma TV is slightly below the newer V10 series, in terms of performance, it is still a great purchase, with Panasonic TC-P50G10 being rightfully considered being very close to top of the line products. For a 50 inch plasma TV, Panasonic TC-P50G10 has the excellent black levels one can find in the superior V10, and, despite some minor color accuracy issues, it is nothing but a fully feature pack that any buyer would enjoy. Also, it represents a step up from the previous Panasonic series, like S1, being appointed with the new THX certification that guarantees good colors right off the box.

Specifications:

Panasonic TC-P50G10
Manual
(PDF File)

• NeoPDP panel
• Resolution: 1080p (standard) / 1920×1080
• Contrast ratio: 40,000:1 (native) / 2,000,000:1 (dynamic)
• Shades of gradation: 6144
• THX certified
• New AR Filter
• 24p cinema mode
• VIERA Cast™
• VIERA Link™
• VIERA Image Viewer™ with AVCHD playback
• 600 Hz sub-field drive
• 3 HDMI inputs

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Amazing black levels – similar if not the same as V10 series
• Good colors provided in THX mode
• Nice extra features such as Viera Cast
• Excellent primary color gamut

Cons:

• Some issues encountered in color accuracy
• Not for the budget minded customer
• Flicker appears in 48Hz mode when viewing 24 frames content

Features

When talking about Panasonic TC-P50G10, one cannot help to compare the product with the series produced by the same manufacturer, as well as with other products on the market. It seems that Panasonic has a battle to win over its own plasma TVs, because they succeeded in rising over the competition with the new series they have launched so far this year. As things are getting better, the newest Panasonic TC-P50V10 is overall superior to G10, but one can easily see why G10 is above the previous S1 series and many other plasma TVs.

The THX certification counts as an extra feature that makes the difference. Of course, other interesting traits such as Viera Cast that allows for access to some Internet entertainment venues add up to the price tag, but if you are looking for a buff out plasma with all the extras that you can get your hands on, than this 50 inch plasma TV should be your first choice. You cannot find any of these in a S1 model, and you will be required to spend extra for enjoying top quality.

Another feature that is meant to attract customers towards Panasonic TC-P50G10 is the ability to access Amazon Video on Demand for movies; the user can preview the content before buying, which is a big plus when one wants to make a buy. Plus, if you are familiar with the buzz around the new NeoPDP panel, than you know that Panasonic TC-P50G10 was granted with it, which means it has a significantly improved picture quality over 2008 models.

Connectivity

A G10 cannot boast about connectivity capabilities, in the same way as a V10. With three HDMI inputs, 2 component-video inputs, one AV input with composite and S-Video, and one RF input for cable or antenna, as well as one VGA input for PC, the connectivity on Panasonic TC-P50G10 is standard. If you want to hook up a home theater audio system, it is possible through the Digital Optical audio output. You can also watch your favorite pictures, or watch videos or listen to music, using the SD slot that TC-P50G10 comes equipped with.

Design

The style of TC-P50G10 is meant to be attractive and elegant. Even though it cannot boast about the one sheet glass that complements the V10’s looks, it still looks sophisticated enough to be installed in a pretentious living room. A thin frame goes around the edge of the screen, rimmed by a silver line that fades to black, into interior. The look is also complemented by the glossy rounded stand, but, unfortunately, this does not swivel, so its practical trait is somewhat lacking.

Performance

Panasonic TC-P50G10 provides the user with excellent picture quality, due to its amazing black levels. The model from G10 series is superior to its little brother from the S1 series, even in terms of color accuracy, because of its THX certification. Even so, one seeking to search for G10’s flaws would notice that colors should be better in such a praised product. Also, a thing to be noted about video processing is that engaging the 48Hz mode will cause flicker to appear when watching 1080p/24 frames content. But, overall, this 50 inch plasma TV is a great performer, despite its minuses.

Black Levels

This is one of TC-P50G10’s strongest points. The model exhibits excellent black levels, the same that can be encountered in V10 models, and it is not surpassed by any other plasma TV, except for Pioneer’s Kuro, which is no longer in production. Due to its capabilities, this Panasonic plasma TV can stand side by side with the Kuro in many aspects considering the black levels, including the shadows details, that falls only a little behind the praised – but defunct – Pioneer model. Also, this G10 model scores better than its S1 relatives, which do not succeed in displaying the same amazing black levels. The quality of its contrast capabilities is hard to surpass and it gives a realistic experience when watching movies.

Color Accuracy

As said earlier, it is hard to comment on what is lacking in TC-P50G10, as the image quality is just unbelievable in a world without Kuro. But, yet, color decoding doesn’t seem to work all that great, and there are other plasma models that can boast about providing better color accuracy than the Panasonic (e.g. Samsung models). Even the THX mode fails to provide the viewer with a perfect color quality in terms of the HDTV standard, and, even if for the unpracticed eye, it may not be an issue, specialists can tell that the green and yellow tinge that the image gets during some scenes. Still, Panasonic TC-P50G10 displays more than decent colors, and better than those exhibited on the previous Panasonic models, including the S1 series. You should also keep in mind that the slightly inaccurate colors are not obvious in a real life scenario unless you’re looking for this “flaw” on purpose.

Video Processing

Panasonic TC-P50G10 has great video processing capabilities, and it has no problem displaying 1080p, as well as 1080i content. Even though the model is equipped with a fancy feature called 600Hz sub field drive, designed to reduce motion blur, one can hardly tell if any improvement is visible. The thing is that Panasonic TC-P50G10 performs great, and it does not show any motion blur, like many other plasma TVs, so this feature can hardly act as a true enhancer, being a mere marketing vehicle and no more.

As far as 1080p/24 frames content goes, it is advisable to let the plasma handle this video source at 60Hz frequency, as the 48Hz mode cannot help to produce flicker, which may lead to a subpar experience. As Blu-ray disc provide such content, and they are the latest buzz in home entertainment, it is obvious why Panasonic TC-P50G10 must perform well in this area. It seems that Panasonic solved the issue about the multiple of 24 frames frequency only starting with the V10 series, that can now handle 1080p/24 frames sources without flicker at 96Hz. As far as the G10 series is concerned, it is recommended to let the plasma TV handle such video content in 60Hz mode, rather than venturing with the 48Hz mode. No matter how good the intentions, the flicker that it exhibits can be really bothersome.

Standard Definition Content

When it comes to displaying standard definition content, Panasonic TC-P50G10 is able to provide solid noise reduction, but its abilities in reproducing high quality picture for SD are somehow limited. The details on the scenes coming from DVD sources are not as sharp as in HDTV models made by other manufacturers, and, while it does remove unwanted snow or motes from images with skies, jaggies still appear around some objects.

Glare

In 2009, Panasonic came with a new antireflective screen, which reduces the glare coming from ambient light. The TC-P50G10 does a good job at attenuating glare and reflections in a room with average light. It is one of the best HDTVs from this perspective, however some LCD models are more recommended if you have a lot of sunlight.

Conclusion

Before the appearance of the V10 series (also coming from Panasonic), Panasonic TC-P50G10 rightfully achieved the title of the best plasma TV released in 2009. As the replacement is just its big brother, there may be no complaints here. Plus, the differences in quality between the two series can be considered negligible, by someone that is not absurdly pretentious. All in all, TC-P50G10 is a great product, able to provide amazing picture quality, with incredible black levels, despite some color accuracy issues. If you want a top quality 50 inch plasma TV, the TC-P50G10 should be on your list.