Panasonic TC-P54S1 Review

In the 54 inch category, Panasonic TC-P54S1 has plenty of competition. The good news is that the 54 inch plasma TV does not aim to beat up higher level plasma, as this was not what it was designed for, but it still performs more than decently, which brings it closer to those top of the line products, despite its less expensive price tag. It is true that Panasonic TC-P54S1 does not come with fancy features, such as THX certification, 24p cinema mode and Viera Cast abilities, all enhancements that the company brought forward only with the high level series, such as G10 and V10, but its picture quality is still great, and this recommends fully the Panasonic plasma TV we review here.

Note: We have the Panasonic TC-P50S1 Review which is more in-depth than this one. Both models are virtually the same except of their size, so if you want to find out more about TC-P54S1 feel free to take a look at TC-P50S1 review as well.

At a Glance:

Panasonic TC-P54S1
Manual
(PDF File)

• Panel type: NeoPDP (offers quite a few advantages over older types)
• Resolution: 1080p (standard) / 1920×1080 (exact)
• Contrast ratio: 40,000:1 (native) / 2,000,000:1 (dynamic)
• Shades of gradation: 6144
• THX certified: NO
• Anti-glare filter: New Anti-Refective Filter
• 24p cinema mode: NO

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Not as expensive as top of the line series. Great if you need high value for money.
• Good overall picture quality
• Black levels similar to those from top of the line G10 and V10 series
• Relatively accurate colors (unless you are very exigent)

Cons:

• In this size class, if you are looking for quality and you have the money, G10 and V10 series will be a better choice
• No THX certification
• Anti-glare performance could be better
• Color accuracy issues and not enough picture adjustment controls to overcome this

Performance

The overall performance of Panasonic TC-P54S1 depends largely on the new technologies used in its making. In comparison with the older X1 series from Panasonic, Panasonic TC-P54S1 displays 1080p resolution and the new NeoPDP panel, which helps it acquire the deepest level of blacks seen on 2009 plasma TV, while consuming less power. It is true that its colors are not the most accurate, but this is not actually a hindrance, as the level of blacks compensate for the loss.

Black Levels

It is only natural to start with what Panasonic TC-P54S1 has best. Due to the “Infinite Black” technology employed by the company in this year’s plasma models, the blacks exhibited by this plasma TV are the deepest ever seen in 2009. No wonder that the series caused admiration in the general public and the specialists, as well, seeing that its level of black and shadow detail dare to compete with those seen on the Kuro model by Pioneer (no longer in production). Panasonic has really drawn the lucky card with this new technology and it shows: its newest series have no trouble competing for the crown due to their deep blacks.

Color Accuracy

The colors on Panasonic TC-P54S1 are not as accurate as on top level plasma, but they are at least decent. Green tones can become offensive from time to time, affecting especially the skin tones on characters displayed on the screen. Also, the colors tend to be not as saturated as needed towards the edges of the screen, but, all in all, seeing that the model has no THX certification, like G10 and V10, we just guess that this is the best that this plasma TV can deliver.

Video Processing

Compared with the previous X1 series from the same manufacturer, Panasonic TC-P54S1 comes with 1080p resolution. This means that the model does well with 1080p and 1080i sources and the video content is displayed at its best, like one would expect from a competitive HDTV. Adding the 600Hz sub-field drive capabilities, we end up with a crisp image that does not have to deal with any motion blur problems, like we find in regular LCD’s.

Standard Definition Performance

There is still work to do for the researchers at Panasonic, as Panasonic TC-P54S1 does a mediocre job in upscaling the image from standard definition sources, such as regular DVD’s. The image is not as sharp as desired, and there are still artefacts such as jaggies, appearing around some objects. Luckily, the noise reduction capability is pretty sturdy, so low quality shots of skies or sunset are less grainier than expected.

Conclusions

While it does not reach the level acquired by Panasonic with its G10 and V10 series, Panasonic TC-P54S1 is better than the models in X1 series, through the novelties it brings, especially the 1080p resolution and the NeoPDP panel. The quality of the picture is very good, especially due to exceptional black levels, but foremost, the balance inclines in favor of this model of plasma, because of its price, which is less expensive than those of top of the line plasma TV’s.