Panasonic TX-L32S10 Review

Panasonic LCD televisions have always been well-received by majority of consumers for number of reasons, and this year it’s no different. The Panasonic TX-L32S10 is an entry-level 1080p HDTV aimed for gamers and casual viewers. So with that in mind, let’s move onto the review.

Note: The specific model we reviewed was the Panasonic TX-L32S10B (denoting the 3-pin-plug British version), which may be sold as Panasonic TXL32S10, Panasonic TX-L32S10 or Panasonic TX-L32S10B by high-street stores like John Lewis, Comet and Currys, or online retailers such as Amazon or Dixons. These terms may be used interchangeably throughout this review to refer to the same model.

Design

The appearance of the TX-L32S10 is in keeping with the Panasonic’s design model. However, from my personal point of view, I would’ve chosen a different design flavour or improved upon the elegantly designed TX-32LZD80. The piano finish complements the Panasonic TX-L32S10, but at the cost of visible hairline scratches and fingerprint smudges. Hopefully in the future manufacturers would apply scratch-resistant coating to reduce/ eliminate this problem.

The built quality is well within Panasonic’s standards; but there is room for improvements (especially between the LCD module and the surrounding frame). Rear A/V ports are steady and robust. The easily-accessible side HDMI input is an advantage to those who own portable devices with such output.

Connections

3 HDMI, 2 RGB Enabled SCARTs, Headphone Jack (with Independent Volume Control), S-Video, Composite Video, Analogue Audio Out (RCA), Common Interface, Component Video, Digital Audio Out (Optical/Toslink), RF In and D-Sub.

OSD/GUI

Panasonic’s GUI has always been simple, highly responsive and fool proof. Thankfully, that hasn’t changed. However, it is extremely basic and doesn’t offer the option to calibrate the image in detail. The decision taken by Panasonic may favour the broad consumer, but it alienates those who wish to maximise performance.

Hopefully in the future Panasonic will follow Samsung’s suit in providing advanced options including dedicated backlight control.

Remote Control

I have always been a fan of Panasonic’s remote controls due their excellent ergonomics, responsiveness, button layout and design. The supplied remote was in keep with that design philosophy.

Calibration

Greyscale and Gamma accuracy are vital for maintaining accurate representation of a given image. Therefore, the display must be calibrated to a set of standards used by the industry. In the case of HDTV, the set standard for color space is Rec. 709, (which is similar to sRGB) and both standards share the same white point (D65) and gamma value (2.2).

Greyscale calibration ensures all greys between black and white are free from color dominance, which is achieved by assigning the RGB values to 6500K color temperature. Unfortunately, it’s not possible for a display to yield 100% accuracy. So the goal is to maintain errors within acceptable levels.

Greyscale

Due to the simplicity of the Panasonic TX-L32S10, it lacks user configurable greyscale control. Unfortunately, none of the preset modes produced RGB tracking and gamma in accordance with the D65 and 2.2 standards.

It may be possible to rectify this issue via the service menu, but this may void the warranty and therefore not recommended.

Note: The results below were obtained by placing our measurement device at the centre of the screen. It is done to ensure error values are kept to a minimum.

CCT of [Colour Balance] “Warm” in [Cinema] mode

RGB tracking and delta errors (dEs) with [Colour Balance] “Warm”

Gamma

Gamma in [Cinema] mode

Colour

Panasonic TX-L32S10 CIE chart with reference to HD Rec. 709

Benchmark Test Results

Power Consumption

Default “Dynamic” [Viewing Mode]	~110 watts
Calibrated “Cinema” [Viewing Mode]	~65 watts
Standby	<1 watt

Uniformity

Complete uniformity is one of the toughest goals to achieve. Even to this day, there are no known displays with 100% uniformity.

Thankfully, the panel embedded on our Panasonic TX-L32S10 test model yielded excellent black and white uniformity corner to corner. Uneven backlight bleeding was virtually non-existent. And the panel uniformity was typical for a Panasonic LCD, by that I meant there were (virtually) no noticeable defects or imperfections. The end results were truly superior in comparison to the Dell 2209WA, which clearly suffers from mild discolouration (as illustrated by the image below):

Panasonic TX-L32S10 uniformity	Dell 2209WA uniformity

Contrast Ratio

Contrary to popular belief, there is a standardised procedure for measuring contrast ratio known as ANSI. The reason behind its standardisation was simple; it provides values which reflect the real world performance.

ANSI is measured using a 4 x 4 or 8 x 8 check board pattern, which allows us to measure the light emissions of the black and white simultaneously. In addition to ANSI, we also test dynamic range, which allows us to measure the light emissions of black and white independently.

In [Cinema] mode with white level (contrast) set to maximum and [Power Save] enabled, the panel yielded a dynamic range and ANSI of ~610:1, which is typical for an IPS based panel. Black level could be further improved by enabling [Eco Mode] in addition to the [Power Save], but this would decrease the white luminance to around 98 cd/m² (from 142 cd/m² with [Power Save] enabled). Therefore, we recommend that you only enable [Power Save] and not both.

Note: The [Power Save] function simply decreases the power output to the backlight. So it doesn’t cause any adverse effects. However, [Eco-Mode] adjusts the backlight in accordance with the ambient light. So it’s best left disabled.

Motion Performance (Pixel Response)

With my usual tests based on PixPerAn, I was able to detect visible overdrive errors. However, the motion remained smooth and smear-free thanks to the IPS mode, which is ideal for gamers and sports fans.

Panasonic TX-L32S10 (IPS-Alpha)	Dell 2209WA (e-IPS)

Overscanning

Overscan can be configured via the [Picture Overscan] control which is located under the [Setup] submenu. It is not exclusive to 1080p and applies to SCART and DVB-T. It is ideal for keeping scaling errors and loss of detail to a minimum.

Blacker than Black (HDMI)

The Panasonic TX-S32S10 flat screen television accepts both 0-255 and 16-235 formats, so it is compatible with Computer and Consumer Electronic Standards.

Backlight Flicker & Trailing

The Panasonic TX-L32S10 LCD TV suffers from backlight flicker and flicker induced trailing, but thankfully, only trailing is perceivable. In extreme cases, it caused translucent double image to appear during high-speed motion in games (rendered at 60p). However, it doesn’t distract the player from the main objective.

One of the known causes of such phenomenon is the CCFLs failing to receive adequate amp/voltage. In the case of the Panasonic TX-L32S10, disabling [Eco Mode] and [Power Save] does help to alleviate the issue by a minuscule amount.

Note: I must stress the artefact in question only affect games rendered at 60p, which are a minority on the Xbox 360 and PS3; and the level of perception is subject to the user.

Viewing Angles

Panasonic LCD televisions are known for their excellent viewing angles thanks to the IPS mode. However, compare to the H-IPS found in monitors, they are slightly inferior, which is to be expected due to the cost of manufacturing. So don’t panic if you detect a hint of purple during off-angle viewing.

Note: IPS Alpha, H-IPS, e-IPS and IPS-Pro are of the same line of IPS family. The odd one out is the e-IPS as it’s a budget panel with several filters removed. But its performance is simply outstanding when compared to the TN and VA alternatives.

Panasonic TX-L32S10 pixel structure (IPS-Alpha)

Sharpness

The Panasonic TX-L32S10 doesn’t fully map the source to the pixels at 1:1 ratio when inputting 1080p source. The image didn’t appear to have detectable edge enhancement, instead, it appeared rather soft. It may have been intentional aimed at reducing aliasing in games, which is somewhat effective (see below). Increasing the sharpness simply adds unneeded edge enhancement, so we recommend that you lower it to 0.

However, the lack of true 1:1 mapping is a disadvantage to those who wish to use the Panasonic TX-L32S10 as a monitor for text-based contents.

Transformer Noise: For unknown reasons, the supplied test model emitted audible ‘buzzing’ at an increasing rate when we displayed images from 40 IRE to 0 IRE in 10 steps. This could be a problem when viewing dark scenes at night. At the moment, there are no known to solutions to combat this issue.

Picture Performance

For evaluating image quality in the real world, we use a series of images known to expose even the most hidden artifact and image inaccuracies.

Note: The following three tests were done under [Cinema] mode.

Skin-tones are one of the most important aspects of image quality, which is why we chose this image, and the Panasonic TX-L32S10 rendered it with sufficient accuracy. The variant shades of warm colors that encompass Charlize Theron’s face, neck and chest were clearly visible. However, red push was highly evident and the image did appear to be processed to an extent, which may please some users (but not those who seek perfection).

We use the image above to detect inaccuracies in grayscale, gamma and black crush; and the performance of the Panasonic TX-L32S10 was just above acceptable. There wasn’t any visible evidence of black crush nor could I detect any errors in gamma. However, there were obvious signs of color dominance (notably red and blue). Having said that, majority of users will not be able to spot the inaccuracy without a reference display.

The Panasonic TX-L32S10′s blue and red dominance were highly evidence on this image. The variant shades of orange appeared rather saturated under [Colour Balance] “Warm“. Switching to “Normal” did help to rectify the issue, but it doesn’t fare well with other contents. Again, most people may find the vividness appealing but those who seek perfection should look elsewhere.

On a positive note, under YCbCr the Panasonic TX-L32S10 produced negligible colour banding and posterization.

[Colour Balance] “Normal”	[Colour Balance] “Warm”

High Definition

High-def materials on the Panasonic TX-L32S10 LCD television were as expected. There was nothing extravagant about the image quality, but it was pleasing to watch. The performance of 24p was excellent. Motion appeared smooth and sturdy without detectable motion artefacts.

Had Panasonic offered the option to calibrate greyscale in user menu, the image quality could have been comparable to our Dell 2209WA; sadly that wasn’t the case.

Also, most serious viewers would probably be “put-off” by the poor black levels. Unfortunately, that cannot be helped due to the IPS mode.

Standard Definition

The Panasonic TX-L32S10 produced fine results with minimal noise via RGB SCART. There wasn’t any excessive color bleed and artifacting remained minimal. However, try not to use 480i or 576i via HDMI due to the reasons below:

Scaling: The scaling algorithm used by Panasonic TX-L32S10 is somewhat on par with the ATI HD4XXX series graphics cards. However, the same cannot be said for scaling 480i and 576i via HDMI. There were serious scaling defects, which seems to affects most of 2009 Panasonic range. Thankfully, the bug doesn’t affect SCART and hopefully it’ll be addressed in the future via firmware update.

Film and Video Mode De-Interlacing: Panasonic TX-L32S10 did a good job of minimising aliasing during de-interlacing of high-motion contents. However, it failed to detect 2:2 pull-down.

Digital Noise Reduction: Enabling noise reduction caused a drop in overall definition of the image, which was perceivable at average distance of ~1.5m. So it’s best to disable noise reduction.

Gaming

Undoubtedly, gaming is the strongest attribute of the Panasonic TX-L32S10 due to its excellent pixel transition times and negligible input lag. Gamers would also enjoy the vividness and the ability to spot an enemy even in the darkest of corners. The lack of full 1:1 mapping paradoxically appeared to favor games too as it seemed to minimise visible aliasing, giving the image a softer “look”.

Note: Do not use [Game Mode] as it enables adaptive gamma which leads to black crush and loss of shadow detail. Use [Cinema Mode] instead.

Audio Performance

The audio performance was adequate for a pair of bottom firing speakers, which is suitable for everyday viewing. Due its firing position, it did sound rather damped and closed. If the speakers were front firing, it probably would have produced far better sound quality. For better audio experience, it’s better to invest in a sound system or a pair of highly quality active speakers.

Transformer Noise

For unknown reasons, the supplied test model emitted audible ‘buzzing’ at an increasing rate when we displayed images from 40 IRE to 0 IRE in 10 steps. This could be a problem when viewing dark scenes at night. At the moment, there are no known solutions to combat this issue.

Conclusion

Pros

• Minimal Banding and Posterization When using YCbCr Color Space
• Excellent Pixel Transition Time
• Build Quality
• Accepts and Displays 1080p/24 Without any Motion Artefacts
• 1:1 Pixel Mapping and Aspect Ratio Correction for 720p and SD
• Accepts Blacker than Black
• Excellent Black and White Uniformity
• SD Performance via SCART
• Low Power Consumption with Power Save Enabled
• Scaling of Progressive Formats and SD via SCART
• Primary Chromaticity
• Negligible Input Lag
• Viewing Angles

Cons

• Average black level
• No white balance controls in user menu
• Inaccurate Overdrive
• Backlight Flicker and Trailing
• Digital Noise Reduction

Epilogue

The performance of Panasonic TX-L32S10 LCD HDTV was more than acceptable for an entry-level 1080p model. Most consumers and gamers in particular should enjoy the image quality as well as low input lag and motion performance. The biggest disadvantage is its average black level, but there are plenty of alternatives to choose from, such as Panasonic’s own G10 plasmas.

Samsung LE32B450 Review

Samsung’s latest mid- and high-end flat screen HDTVs have received rave reviews from us in recent months, but it’s been a while since we tested a model from their budget range (especially pertinent in these economically uncertain times).

With this in mind, we got our hands on a Samsung LE32B450 LCD TV which can be found online at a credit-crunch-busting price of £350. Well and truly affordable then, but how does the Samsung LE32B450 fare in our picture quality tests? Let’s find out…

Note: The specific model we reviewed was the Samsung LE32B450C4W, which may be sold as Samsung LE32B450, Samsung LE32B450C, Samsung LE32B450C4 or Samsung LE32B450C4W by high-street stores like John Lewis, Comet and Currys, or online retailers such as Amazon or Dixons. These terms may be used interchangeably throughout this review to refer to the same model.

Design

The Samsung LE32B450 LCD television sports a glossy black bezel which is largely no-frills except for a transparent layer of perspex extending beyond the subtly-curved bottom border. The LCD screen itself is not as reflective as those found on the B650 and B750 series, due to the absence of Samsung’s “Ultra Clear Panel“.

Build quality is reasonable, and the swivelling table-top stand (packaged separately from the LCD screen inside the shipping box) provides solid support for the panel. Although its soundstage and stereo separation can be left wanting as a result of the speakers’ downfiring arrangement, the Samsung LE32B450 still musters sufficient midrange clarity (for dialogue) and volume to satisfy any run-of-the-mill needs.

Connections

Rear: 2 x HDMI, VGA, component, Scart, aerial, digital & analogue audio out

Side: HDMI, composite, Common Interface slot

Calibration

Greyscale

Out of the box, “Movie” [Mode] with its default “Warm2” [Colour Tone] yielded the greyscale closest to D65 standard on the Samsung LE32B450 LCD TV:

Pre-calibration CCT with “Movie” [Mode] & “Warm2″ [Colour Tone]

Pre-calibration RGB tracking and delta errors (dEs)

Taking full advantage of the RGB offset and gain controls available in the [White Balance] submenu, we slowly brought the divergent red and blue channels (above 40% stimulus) back into line:

CCT after greyscale calibration in “Movie” [Mode]

RGB tracking and delta errors (dEs) after greyscale calibration

There remained a bump in blue between 30% and 50% stimulus, but at least delta errors (dEs) were kept below the perceptible limit of 4 from 20% stimulus onwards.

Gamma

Overall gamma was around 2.55 initially, which was a bit too dark for our liking. Fortunately the user-accessible gamma control on the Samsung LE32B450 allowed us to adjust it closer to the 2.2 ideal:

Gamma curve after calibration	Gamma tracking after calibration

Colour

Unlike the B650 and B750 series, the Samsung LE32B450 is not equipped with a colour management system (CMS). Instead, two [Colour Space] presets are provided, namely “Auto” and “Native“:

[Colour Space] “Auto”	[Colour Space] “Native”

Apart from yellow and magenta secondaries, the colour gamut on both [Colour Space] options looked quite similar at first glance. However, we found it much easier to align the colour decoding accurately (at least for high-definition sources) with [Colour Space] set to “Native“. Because the [Tint] control rotated all 3 secondary colours around a central axis, aligning any one of them entailed sacrificing one or two of the others, so unfortunately we would have to make do with a slightly off yellow:

Post-calibration CIE chart with reference to HD Rec. 709

Benchmark Test Results

Dead pixels	None
Screen uniformity	Excellent
Overscanning on HDMI	0% with [Size] set to “Screen Fit“
Blacker than black	Passed
Black level	Deepest among non-LED LCDs (0.04 cd/m2 calibrated)
Black level retention	Stable in “Movie” [Mode] during normal content
Primary chromaticity	Green primary deviated towards blue
Scaling	Good
Video mode deinterlacing	Good; largely effective jaggies reduction
Film mode deinterlacing	Passed 3:2 & 2:2 cadences in all resolution
Viewing angle	90°
Motion resolution	300
Digital noise reduction	Acceptable at baseline
Sharpness	Very mild ringing for full HD content (due to downscaling)
1080p/24 capability (PS3)	Accepts 1080p/24 video signal; no telecine judder
Input lag	On par with Samsung F96

Power Consumption

Default “Standard” [Mode]	70 watts
Calibrated “Movie” [Mode]	45 watts
Standby	<1 watt

Picture Performance

Even though it sits pretty low in Samsung’s hierarchy of LCD HDTV for 2009, the Samsung LE32B450 did not have any difficulty matching its higher-end siblings (like the B650 and B750 series) in terms of black-level performance. Calibrated black level was measured at 0.04 cd/m², which lent ample depth and contrast to the picture on screen.

On some flat panel HDTVs, deep blacks are inevitably spoiled by muddy shadow detail, but that is not the case here with the Samsung LE32B450: we could still appreciate the individual figures in the audience behind Jamal (Dev Patel) as the lights dimmed down on the game show in Slumdog Millionaire (Blu-ray).

Screen uniformity was excellent, perhaps due to the smaller screen size. We noticed some very brief black level fluctuations when the source player loaded the disc (DVD or Blu-ray), which caused the info banner at the top left of the screen to brighten then darken, but once the info banner went away, no auto-dimming was detected either in test patterns or real-world viewing material.

Colours appeared naturally balanced, with skin tones suitably convincing due to the absence of red push. The Samsung LE32B450 also handled 1080p/24 video signal from our PS3 well, portraying the sweeping shots of the Mumbai slums without any sign of telecine judder.

Up-close, the Samsung LE32B450′s native resolution of 1366 x 768 precludes it from displaying 1080 content with the razor-sharp crispness seen on other full HD models. However, unless you sit less than 4 feet away from the screen, you’ll be hard-pressed to tell the difference due to the resolving limit of our eyes.

Standard Definition

Herein lies the greatest strength of the Samsung LE32B450: it dealt with standard-def content better than any other 32-inch LCD televisions we’ve tested thus far. Scaling/ upconversion quality was good, capturing sufficiently sharp detail either off-air or from DVDs. Jagged edges in video-based material were cleaned up effectively, and digital noise was adequately suppressed at baseline.

With [Film Mode] set to “Auto“, the Samsung LE32B450 LCD television successfully detected and processed 3:2 cadence over 480i and 1080i, and 2:2 cadence over 576i for film-based content. It even managed to eradicate the moiré from the red Coca Cola sign saying “Go Bridget Go” in the notorious test scene from the PAL DVD of Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason.

Add class-leading blacks and natural colours to the mix, and you have one very solid SD performer. The lack of 100Hz motion-compensated frame interpolation (MCFI) technology did put a slight dent in motion resolution, but we were never overly troubled by motion blurring when we watched Wimbledon tennis on BBC.

Console Gaming

Bucking the trend of high(ish) input lag experienced on the latest Samsung flat-screen HDTVs, the LE32B450 delivered praiseworthy gaming response. With [Game Mode] engaged, we measured input lag on the Samsung LE32B450 to be on par with that on our resident Samsung F96 LED-backlit LCD TV reference. Disabling [Game Mode] did not seem to cripple the Samsung LE32B450′s gaming response too much either: 8 times out of 10 the recorded input lag would equal that on the F96.

Conclusion

Exhibiting class-leading black-level performance and standard-definition handling, the Samsung LE32B450 gets a wholehearted recommendation from us here at HDTVTest. It does not offer 100Hz technology nor full HD 1920 x 1080 native screen resolution, but these are minor niggles especially considering its bargain-basement price. The Samsung LE32B450 is conclusive proof that you don’t need to break the bank to find a flat-screen television that is more than suitable for SD viewing, console gaming, and the occasional HD critical viewing.

Sony KDL40Z5500 Launched

Update 7 November 2009: We have now completed a full review of the Sony KDL40Z5500.

Sony have launched their Bravia Z5500 series which — as indicated by the model name — will directly succeed their critically acclaimed Sony Z4500 series, though word has it that the Z4500 will still continue to be sold alongside the Z5500. The Sony Z5500 range of Bravia HDTVs will be available in three sizes, namely the 40-inch Sony KDL40Z5500, the 46-inch Sony KDL46Z5500, and the 52-inch KDL52Z5500.

Just like the Z4500 series, all the LCD televisions in the Sony Bravia Z5500 series will feature full HD 1920 x 1080 panels, and of course Sony’s Motionflow 200Hz motion-compensated frame interpolation (MCFI) technology (which helped the Z4500 achieve the highest motion resolution we have ever recorded on an LCD TV to date). Whilst on the Z4500 series this did not translate into any drastic improvement during subjective viewing when compared to the Motionflow 100Hz found on the W4500 series, perhaps things may be better with the Sony Z5500 series.

Sony KDL40Z5500

On paper, the Sony KDL40Z5500 offers the following extras over the KDL40Z4500:

• Applicast internet widget function;
• One additional HDMI input (4 vs 3);
• Expanded DLNA media streaming;
• Reduced power consumption; and
• The latest version of Bravia video processing (Bravia Engine 3 vs BE 2).

Based on our experiences with Sony’s 2009 Bravia LCD models (specifically the W5500 series), the Sony KDL40Z5500 200Hz LCD HDTV should also sport these improvements over the Z4500:

• Inclusion of user-accessible white balance and gamma controls; and
• Eradication of undefeatable edge enhancement on 1080 content.

Interestingly, the Sony KDL40Z5500 retains a 10-bit panel and WCG-CCFL backlight which is very good news indeed — as a consequence of these features being “downgraded” (to an 8-bit panel and only CCFL backlight) on the W5500 series, the colour gamut was not as accurate according to our measurements.

The Sony KDL40Z5500 LCD television is expected to hit UK stores sometime in July, with an RRP of around £1,800… hardly an alluring price in these times of economic uncertainty, but we’ll reserve judgement until we get our hands on a review sample.

Panasonic TX-P42V10 Review

The Panasonic TX-P42V10 HDTV comes from their Viera V10 plasma range, which – like the G10 series we tested recently – boasts a NeoPDP panel, built-in Freesat tuner, and 600Hz Sub-field Drive Intelligent Frame Creation Pro. On top of these specifications, the Panasonic TX-P42V10 also features additional THX video certification, and interactive functions such as [Viera Cast] and DLNA media streaming capabilities. Is the Panasonic V10 plasma worth the extra money over the G10 series? Let’s find out…

Note: The specific model we reviewed was the Panasonic TX-P42V10B (which denotes the 3-pin-plug British version), but the terms TX-P42V10, TXP42V10 and TX-P42V10B will be used interchangeably throughout this article to refer to the same plasma TV. While we did not test the 50-inch Panasonic TX-P50V10/ TX-P50V10B, there is no reason to believe that there will be any drastic difference in picture performance.

Update 2 July 2010: This model has been replaced by the Panasonic TX-P42V20B.

Design

The NeoPDP plasma panels’ potential for slimness is starting to be realised on the Panasonic TX-P42V10: the depth of its top portion measures only 5.5 cm, which then thickens slightly to about 8.5 cm towards the chassis’ middle/ bottom to accommodate its processing circuitry, connection ports and internal speakers. Although the end result is less bulky than the recently-reviewed Panasonic TX-P42G10, it’s still nowhere near as slender as the 3-cm-deep edge-lit LED-based LCD televisions (such as the UE40B7020) from Samsung, or the forthcoming Z1 flagship plasmas from Panasonic.

Nevertheless, the aesthetic appeal of the Panasonic TX-P42V10 is boosted considerably by the implementation of a beautiful “one-sheet-of-glass” design. Defying the usual stereotype of the screen being recessed back from the bezel, a single sheet of glass overlies the entire front, lending a sleek and fluid “frameless” appearance to the Panasonic TX-P42V10. The plasma’s “double image” phenomenon (multi-layered plasma glass causing “ghost image” to be repeated behind the original image when viewed up-close and off-axis) did seem a tad more pronounced, but to be fair this is a non-issue from normal sitting distance.

A thin silver strip crowns the Panasonic TX-P42V10′s gleaming black “frame”, and is further complemented by a silver accent along the bottom of the set, which then flows seamlessly onto the silver pedestal stand sporting an oval base with brushed effect.

An inspection around the back of the Panasonic TX-P42V10 reveals solid build quality, four cooling fans that produce a mild whirring background noise (which should be adequately masked by normal TV volume at normal sitting distance), but no recessed handgrips. While passing judgement on TV styling can be very subjective, aesthetics-wise we think the Panasonic TX-P42V10 is a clear step up from the G10 series.

Connections

The Panasonic TX-P42V10 plasma television offers one extra HDMI port compared to its G10 counterpart:

Rear: 3 x HDMI, component, 2 x Scarts, ethernet, aerial, Freesat, CI slot, audio outs

Side: SD card, HDMI, VGA, S-video, comp, headphone	Control buttons (F=function)

Operation

In addition to the customary “Dynamic“, “Normal“, “Cinema” and “Game” picture presets, there now exists an eponymous “THX” [Viewing Mode] that is meant to produce images conforming to that particular video standard:

“THX” [Viewing Mode]	“Normal” [Viewing Mode]

Outside the [THX mode], a few more picture-adjusting options present themselves. [Digital Cinema Colour] creates a wider colour gamut in line with Digital Cinema specifications which is of course distinct from HDTV standards, and therefore should not be engaged for critical viewing.

[Setup] menu	[Intelligent Frame Creation] option

Under the [Setup] > [Other Settings] submenu, you can find the [Intelligent Frame Creation] option which applies Panasonic’s MCFI technology to whatever you’re watching, and the self-explanatory [Picture Overscan] toggle. In [THX] mode, these options are disabled and hence absent.

Picture-in-picture	Picture-and-picture

On the Panasonic TX-P42V10, picture-in-picture (PiP) and picture-and-picture (PaP) functionalities (not found on the G10) can be accessed via the [Multi Window] option in the [Picture] menu.

Remote Control

The infrared remote control for the Panasonic TX-P42V10 is very similar to that bundled with the G10, apart from the silver navigation pad, and the inclusion of a [Viera Cast] button.

Viera Tools & Viera Cast

The [Viera Tools] and [Viera Cast] functionalities on the Panasonic TX-P42V10 can be summoned via their respective direct access keys on the remote control. The [Viera Tools] taskbar allows you to display JPEG photos and watch video files (supported formats are DivX AVIs, AVCHD and MPEG2) either from an SD card or a DLNA media server.

[Viera Tools] taskbar	[Viera Cast] menu

With [Viera Cast], you can access selected internet content on the Panasonic TX-P42V10 from a broadband connection by running an Ethernet cable from the plasma TV to your home router. At this time of writing, the available [Viera Cast] internet services are your local weather, YouTube, EuroSport, Bloomberg, Picasa Web Albums and Tagesschau, with more promised on the way.

Youtube videos in [Viera Cast]	Bloomberg stock quotes in [Viera Cast]

Compared to Samsung’s “Internet@TV”, [Viera Cast] feels fairly light and responsive, and its mobile-phone-style multi-tap text input method (no predictive text yet though) is a lot less cumbersome. Put another way, of all the “web on TV” systems we’ve experienced thus far, [Viera Cast] probably stands the highest chance of being used on a regular basis.

Calibration

Greyscale

Engaging [THX mode] on the Panasonic TX-P42V10 plasma HDTV yielded a greyscale that’s reasonably close to the desired D65 standard:

CCT in “THX” [Viewing Mode]

RGB tracking and delta errors (dEs) in “THX” [Viewing Mode]

Delta errors (dEs) hovered above the perceptible limit of 4, but this is unlikely to bother all but the staunchest videophiles. However, because the greyscale on plasma televisions tends to drift over time as a result of phosphor ageing, we wish Panasonic had included user-accessible white balance controls for owners – if they are so inclined – to bring greyscale into spec every now and then. As things stand, there is no way to adjust white balance in [THX mode] on the Panasonic TX-P42V10… not even (as far as we can tell) in the service menu.

Gamma

In spite of the [THX] mode’s lack of adjustability, there is one compelling reason to stick to this picture preset on the Panasonic TX-P42V10: gamma. In [THX mode], point gamma tracked the 2.2 ideal pretty well across the entire luminance range, providing not only a realistic rise from blacks into lighter shadows, but also punchy image contrast and “pop”.

Gamma tracking in “THX” [Viewing Mode]

On the contrary, all other non-THX picture modes – including “Cinema” [Viewing Mode] – yielded average gammas below 2, which resulted in slightly washed-out images.

Colour

Another benefit of the [THX mode] was its accurate primary colour points, though the secondary colour hues of magenta and cyan were deviated. Colour decoding (which cannot be inferred from the CIE chart alone) was less than satisfactory too: red and green would appear understrength if we chose to align blue accurately. Nonetheless, most people probably won’t be able to spot these minor colour inaccuracies outside of a side-by-side comparison.

“THX” [Viewing Mode] CIE	[Colour Management] “On” CIE

Activating [Colour Management] in “THX” [Viewing Mode] would render the originally accurate green primary colour point oversaturated and tilted towards blue, so it’s best to leave this off.

“Cinema” [Viewing Mode] CIE	[Digital Cinema Colour] “On” CIE

When not in [THX mode], the TX-P42V10 exhibited oversaturated green and red that’s more typical of Panasonic plasmas. Engaging [Digital Cinema Colour] would exaggerate these inaccuracies to produce an even wider colour gamut.

Benchmark Test Results

Dead pixels	None
Screen uniformity	Perfect
Overscanning on HDMI	0% with [Picture Overscan] set to “Off“
Blacker than black	Passed
Black level	Out of the box: 0.03 cd/m2; Calibrated: 0.04 cd/m2
Black level retention	Stable in [Cinema] and [THX] mode
Primary chromaticity	Excellent in [THX] mode
Scaling	Very good for progressive video signals (576p)
Video mode deinterlacing	Very effective jaggies reduction
Film mode deinterlacing	Failed 3:2/ 2:2 cadences in all resolutions
Viewing angle	Excellent (> 150°)
Motion resolution	1080
Digital noise reduction	Less PWM noise than Pioneer Kuros
Sharpness	Defeatable edge enhancement
Image retention	Virtually none
Posterization	Mild, though worse with poor source
Phosphor trails	Yes; severity depends on individual susceptibility
1080p/24 capability (PS3)	Accepts 1080p/24 video signal; no telecine judder
Input lag	On par with our resident Samsung F96

Power Consumption

Default [Standard] mode	191 watts*
Calibrated [THX] mode	225 watts
Standby	1 watt

* The default factory settings in “Standard” [Viewing Mode] was unusually dim: luminance output measured only 72 cd/m² on a 100% stimulus windowed pattern, which is the reason why the power consumption of our Panasonic TX-P42V10 test sample was lower out-of-the-box than that after calibration.

Picture Performance

Black Level

With the default out-of-the-box values in [THX] mode, we measured the black level on the Panasonic TX-P42V10 to be 0.03 cd/m². Adjusting [Brightness] to the correct level (16 video black) raised it to 0.04 cd/m² which is still an excellent figure for a flat screen HDTV.

Standard Definition

Just like the G10 series, the Panasonic TX-P42V10 plasma television smoothened jaggies effectively for video-based material, but failed to detect and process 3:2 and 2:2 cadences for film-based content. The quality of its standard-def upconversion was very good, but the best results were obtained when the TV was fed with progressive video signals. We’ll explain why over the next few paragraphs.

Over HDMI, the Panasonic TX-P42V10 resolved every line of the 576i format (which is an improvement over the G10), although detail remained on the soft side:

576i over HDMI from a Toshiba HD-E1 HD DVD player

However, things took a turn for the worse over component. Not only did the Panasonic TX-P42V10 fail to resolve the finest vertical lines when deinterlacing 576i to 576p, we also observed an excessive amount of ringing when the content was subsequently upscaled to fit on its full HD 1920 x 1080 panel:

576i over component from a Toshiba HD-E1 HD DVD player

This minor loss of resolution during 576i to 576p conversion carried over to real-world programmes as well. For example, the fine pinstripes on Simon Cowell’s suit jacket in Britain’s Got Talent — which were clearly visible on our resident Samsung F96 LED-backlit LCD TV — went missing on the Panasonic TX-P42V10 plasma:

Simon Cowell in Britain’s Got Talent, displayed on Panasonic V10 plasma

Simon Cowell in Britain’s Got Talent, displayed on Samsung F96 LED-based LCD

Fortunately in the grand scheme of things resolution/ sharpness is only small factor in determining picture quality… the Panasonic TX-P42V10 plasma TV nailed the far more important attributes of blacks, contrast, colour and motion to deliver a truly commendable SD performance.

High Definition

You can attain 1:1 pixel mapping on the Panasonic TX-P42V10 for a 1080 source either by setting [Picture Overscan] set to “Off” in any of the non-THX picture presets, or by simply engaging the [THX] mode which automatically disables overscan (that’s why the [Picture Overscan] option does not exist anywhere in the [THX] menus).

With its pixels mapped 1:1, the Panasonic TX-P42V10 HDTV fully resolved all 1080 horizontal and 1920 vertical single-pixel-wide lines over HDMI and component. However, when performing back-and-forth comparisons between the [THX] mode and the [Cinema] mode on a sharpness test pattern, we immediately noticed that the line edges in [THX] mode did appear a smidgen blurrier/ softer than in [Cinema] mode (we calibrated both picture modes to neutral sharpness without any artificial edge enhancement):

Sharpness test pattern in [THX] mode

Sharpness test pattern in [Cinema] mode

To be fair, the [THX] mode’s marginal deficiency in absolute sharpness was not apparent in real-life viewing from normal sitting distance, and as such did not detract from picture quality at all. In any case, as we have stated before, resolution/ sharpness is not — despite what manufacturers want us to believe — as important as contrast and colour among the elements that constitute “good” picture quality on a display device.

Black-level performance of the TX-P42V10 was typically superb, as you would come to expect from a Panasonic plasma, contributing to an expansive dynamic range. No other scene in The Day The Earth Stood Still on Blu-ray illustrated this better than the sequence where the glowing alien spherical spaceship landed in Central Park at night: the Panasonic TX-P42V10 HDTV did not even skip a beat in portraying the potentially challenging concoction of solid blacks, blinding lights, and all the intermediate shadow delineation and highlight detail.

But the one aspect which gave the Panasonic TX-P42V10 a definite edge over the G10 series was the 2.2 gamma in [THX] mode: the resultant picture oozed plenty of “pop”, and was just so easy on the eyes that we would happily sit in front of the TV all day and drink the images in.

Another ace up the Panasonic TX-P42V10′s sleeve was its accurate primary chromaticities in [THX] mode, which — together with its deep blacks and near-D65 greyscale — delivered a well-saturated and convincingly realistic colour palette that would outperform most other flat screen HDTVs (including the Panasonic G10 plasmas). Nevertheless, the magenta and cyan hue deviations, plus slightly misaligned colour decoding, meant that the Panasonic TX-P42V10 fell short of the supreme colour accuracy witnessed on the Pioneer Kuro plasmas and the latest Edge LED sets from Samsung, though most people probably won’t be able to tell the difference outside of a side-by-side comparison.

Motion clarity was about as close as you can get to a CRT television: the live broadcast of the UEFA Champions League Final on ITV HD was an absolute visual treat. 1080p/24 video signals were handled well too without any sign of telecine judder. Outside the [THX] mode, engaging [24p Smooth Film] — this option appears in the [Setup] > [Other Settings] submenu in place of [Intelligent Frame Creation] when the TV senses a 24p signal — would introduce a non-so-subtle video-like effect to film-based material.

Console Gaming

Regardless of whether [Game Mode] was engaged or not, we measured the input lag on Panasonic TX-P42V10 plasma television to be equal to our resident Samsung F96 LED-backlit LCD TV, which made reflex-dependent fighting games like Street Fighter IV incredibly fun to play.

The Panasonic TX-P42V10 plasma HDTV was extremely resistant to image retention/ screenburn, but there’s no harm in taking the appropriate precautions and avoiding lengthy non-stop gaming sessions (at least for the first 200 hours).

On our review unit we did not witness any green/ yellow flashes (a.k.a. phosphor trails, plasma rainbows, green fringe, phosphor lag, etc.) on fast-moving, high-contrast edges. However, because individual susceptibility (i.e. depending on how high your retinal persistance is) plays a major part in determining whether you see these phosphor trails or not, you should trust your own eyes (e.g. in store demos) rather than what we say in this regard. If you’ve seen them before on other plasmas, it’s very likely that you’ll see them too on the Panasonic TX-P42V10 given that the underlying plasma technology remains unchanged.

Conclusion

At this point, we guess the question on every video enthusiast’s mind is, “Can it dethrone the Pioneer 9G Kuro plasma as the best flat-panel HDTV we’ve tested to date?” We’re afraid not: the Panasonic TX-P42V10 ran the Pioneer Kuros really close (in fact the closest of them all), but ultimately fell short in the areas of black level, overall colour fidelity and standard-definition video processing.

Make no mistake though: the TX-P42V10 still delivers the best picture quality we’ve seen from a Panasonic plasma so far, thanks in no small part to its [THX] mode. Is the Panasonic TX-P42V10 worth paying £300 extra over the G10? When you take into account the [THX] mode’s accurate primary colours and 2.2 gamma out of the box, not to mention other perks like [Viera Cast], DLNA compatibility, additional HDMI port and PiP/PaP functionalities, for us the answer is a resounding yes.