Panasonic TX-P42G30B Plasma TV Review

Last year’s Panasonic G20 series emerged from 2010 as the Plasma HDTVs to beat at the mid-range price point. 2011’s midrange model, the new TX-P42G30B, has been with us for the last few weeks for in-depth calibration and assessment. As it happens, the Viera G30 is actually the most advanced 2D-only Plasma TV that Panasonic is selling this year: if you want additional features like “Infinite Black Pro” (the most compelling feature of which is a screen filter which provides better contrast performance in rooms with ambient light present), a Freesat satellite tuner, and of course, 3D, then you’ll need to look at the GT30 series instead.

However, if the Panasonic TX-P42G30B’s terrestrial (Freeview HD) tuner, 4 HDMI inputs, and network connectivity are enough to meet your needs, then read on to find out just how this midrange NeoPlasma performs.

Note: The specific review unit we tested was the Panasonic TX-P42G30B which is the British 3-pin-plug version. The same plasma may be sold by retailers like Comet, Currys and John Lewis, and etailers such as Amazon and Dixons as the Panasonic TX-P42G30 or TXP42G30. Throughout this article, these model numbers may be used interchangeably to refer to the same HDTV.

While we did not review larger G30 models (e.g. the 50-inch TX-P50G30B), there should not be any significant difference in picture performance given similar specifications.

Jump To: OperationCalibrationPicture PerformanceConclusion

Design

The Panasonic TX-P42G30 lands in our review room at a convenient time: directly after the Panasonic GT30, allowing for tests to be done with the 3D-capable variant model fresh in our minds. In 2010, the 3D-capable Plasmas (which have “T” in their model number) were very similar in specification and looks to the 2D-only variants. This year, however, the 2D-only equivalent model looks noticeably less slick when compared to the styling of the 3D-ready GT30. For a start, there is no brushed steel finish surrounding the panel; 3D refuseniks are instead treated to standard gloss black. The TXP42G30 is still fairly thin, measuring at about 5cm deep (there’s a slight bulge at the bottom, to house the speakers).

Panasonic TX-P42G30B

With that said, the TX-P42G30B still looks slick enough, and is definitely a step up design-wise from 2010’s G20 model. Build quality is excellent, as usual for Panasonic Plasmas. Other than a small gap between the casing and the side-panel buttons, we had no complaints with this sturdy display.

Connections

The Panasonic TX-P42G30B features the now-standard 4 HDMI inputs, the mandatory analogue Component input, a single RGB SCART terminal for interfacing with older Standard Def devices, and a Composite video jack, which offers the lowest quality input and should be avoided at all costs, unless you, for whatever reason, happen to be using a Composite video source, such as a VHS VCR or a LaserDisc player (anyone?). Moving back into modern times, there are also 3 USB ports, an SD Card slot, a Digital TV Common Interface card slot, and an Ethernet connection for hooking the panel up to the wider world.

Unlike last year’s G20 model, there is no second SCART terminal and no analogue RGBHV (PC) input. We doubt these will be missed by many users, but tell us in the Comments if you disagree. Sadly, on the TX-P42G30B, there is no satellite tuner this year – for that, you’ll need to step up to the TX-P42GT30B.

Rear connections on Panasonic TX-P42G30B
Rear: 4 x HDMI, Component, SCART, aerial, ethernet & audio outs

Operation

The Panasonic TX-P42G30 features the same newly designed menus that we spotted on the TX-P42GT30. They’re more aesthetically pleasing than last year’s, and are also more logically structured: for example, the [Setup] category no longer features any picture adjustments – they’re all in the [Picture] area now. Users who want access to the White Balance, Colour Management and Gamma controls do still have to enable the “advance(isfccc)” option in the [Setup] screen first, though.

[Picture] menu
[Picture] menu
[Picture] menus

The picture modes that we’re most interested in are the [THX] mode and the two [Professional] options, since these produce the most accurate, true-to-spec pictures. Unfortunately, the [White Balance], [Gamma] and [Colour Management] controls do not appear in the [THX] mode. This is a step backwards from Panasonic’s 2010 displays, where the White Balance menu was at least functional. Although the point of the [THX] mode is to come as close as possible to industry standards without requiring calibration, every individual Plasma screen is different, meaning that some fine-tuning is still sometimes a good idea. Hopefully Panasonic can reinstate this menu with firmware, or at least keep this in mind for the future, because as we’ll discuss later in the review, the [THX] mode has some unique characteristics which make calibrating it desirable.

Calibration

Note: Our Panasonic TX-P42G30B review sample was calibrated using Calman Professional, the industry-leading video calibration software.

Greyscale

We let our brand new Panasonic TXP42G30 review unit age for a good number of hours, and then ran the following measurements using the small APL windows from the AVSHD test disc. We ran the pre-calibration measurements in the [THX] picture mode to see how well the 42G30 was fulfilling its intended purpose of offering accurate image quality without the need for individual calibration attention.

Pre-calibration RGB Tracking
Pre-calibration RGB tracking and delta errors (dEs)

Like the GT30 we reviewed recently, the THX picture mode on the Panasonic TX-P42G30B produced an image that was somewhat green-tinted. Although there’s little hard data on this phenomenon, we do know that the Greyscale characteristics of a Plasma television will shift as the panel ages. With that in mind, we wonder if the THX mode has been optimised for the middle (rather than the beginning) of the TV’s life – perhaps the green tint would disappear with usage (it’s a shame we can’t measure a 200 or 500-hour old TX-P42G30 to test that theory). In any case, the image quality did appear somewhat tinted to our eyes on our new review sample, but do keep in mind that we’re used to looking at HDTV displays which have been calibrated within an inch of their lives. On the up-side, the Greyscale tracking was incredibly linear, meaning that the green tint to the picture was consistent from the lightest to the darkest shades, and therefore easier to ignore.

Post-calibration RGB Tracking in [Professional1] mode
Post-calibration RGB tracking and dEs in [Professional1] mode

Equalising Greyscale mixing on the TX-P42G30B was almost effortless. After a short amount of time measuring the output of the plasma and adjusting the [White Balance] controls to offset the tint, familiar, bias-free “video white” slipped into view. The results here were comparable to both the GT30 and last year’s G20, with there being no obvious tints left in the image, except for a very, very mildly discoloured 10% stimulus measurement.

Gamma curve in [Professional1] mode Gamma tracking in [Professional1] mode
Gamma curve in [Professional1] mode Corresponding gamma tracking

On a TV display, “Gamma” describes the output luminance relative to the input video signal – in other words, whether or not the amount of light being put out by the television at each brightness level is correct. Getting entirely consistent, flat Gamma tracking has never been easy on any of the consumer Plasma TVs we’ve reviewed (with one exception – the legendary, now out-of-production Pioneer Kuro PDP-LX5090). Measuring with different sized windows alters the measurements to some degree (due to the Plasma display’s Automatic Brightness Limiting circuit), indicating unpredictability with real-world material. With this in mind, we measured using the small APL (Average Picture Level) window patterns from the AVSHD test disc. In these conditions, the Panasonic TX-P42G30 rose out of black slightly too quickly and revealed a touch too much shadow detail, but we still measured an average gamma of 2.1.

We also tried manipulating the low-end [White Balance] controls in the user menu simultaneously in an effort to reduce errors, and also experimented with the ALL-CUT and ALL-DRV controls in service mode. In these cases, we found that we could make small improvements to Gamma, but at the expense of Greyscale tracking. In other words, any attempts to get perfect Gamma tracking resulted in overly red-tinged shadows, and neutralising this would bring us back to where we started. We could never get flawless results from both simultaneously, although we think our readers will agree that Gamma errors are the lesser of many possible evils.

Colour

Colour reproduction was excellent on Panasonic’s 2010 HDTVs, despite their limited Colour Management controls. With this year’s G30 model, the [THX] mode produced excellent colour straight out of the box, with only minor errors (green was slightly oversaturated, and red was pushed slightly more towards orange) being measured.

Using the control over primary colours provided in the [Professional] modes on the TX-P42G30B, we adjusted the Hue and Saturation for Red, Green and Blue, in order to gain the following result. As you can see, the secondary colours inbetween were very close to ideal accuracy, even although no control is given over them.

Post-calibration CIE chart in [Professional1] mode
Post-calibration CIE chart with reference to HD Rec.709

We also made minor adjustments to the [R-Luminance], [B-Luminance] and [G-Luminance] controls (new for 2011) to further fine-tune the brightness of each colour on the Panasonic TXP42G30. As with the Hue and Saturation, no control is given over the Luminance of the secondary colours, but the remaining errors are very small:

Post-calibration Luminance levels in [Professional1] mode
Post-calibration colour luminance (coloured bars = targets; black bars = measured values)

Benchmark Test Results

Dead pixels None
Screen uniformity Perfect
Overscanning on HDMI 0% with [16:9 Overscan] set to “Off
Blacker than black Passed
Calibrated black level (black screen) 0.02 cd/m2
Calibrated black level (ANSI checkerboard) 0.02 cd/m2
Black level retention Stable in [THX] and [Photo], some shifting otherwise
Primary chromaticity Excellent
Scaling Excellent
Video mode deinterlacing Very effective jaggies reduction
Film mode deinterlacing Passed 2-2 PAL and 3-2 NTSC tests in SD and HD
Viewing angle Excellent
Motion resolution 1080, but with noisy edges unless [Intelligent Frame Creation] used
Digital noise reduction Present, defeatable
Sharpness Defeatable edge enhancement
Luma/Chroma bandwidth (2D Blu-ray) Full Luma, Full Chroma
Image retention Very little
Posterization Mild, though worse with poor source
Phosphor trails Very mild
1080p/24 capability No judder
Input lag 24ms compared to lag-free CRT
Full 4:4:4 reproduction (PC) No, 4:4:4 input subsampled

Power Consumption

[THX] mode 164 watts
Calibrated [Professional1] mode 136 watts
Standby 1 watt

Note: Measurements taken with full 50% grey screen.

Picture Performance

Black Level

We weren’t surprised at all to see the Panasonic TX-P42G30B’s minimum luminance level – that is, the deepest black it was capable of producing – measure at 0.02 cd/m2. This is exactly the same measurement we received from the equivalent 2010 model, the G20, which would make sense given that both plasma televisions are (were) promoted under the “Infinite Black” banner. A measurement as low as 0.02 cd/m2 indicates that the TX-P42G30 can produce a satisfying, deep shade of black, although it’s bettered by higher-end Panasonic Plasmas, and of course, the final generation of the Pioneer Kuro plasma displays (although pitting an £800 display against the discontinued Pioneer Kuro Plasmas is a fairly pointless comparison).

But what about ANSI contrast performance? We were curious to see if the TXP42G30 could match the impressive mixed-scene contrast that we saw on the 3D-capable GT30 (which carries the “Infinite Black Pro” branding, rather than the G30’s “Infinite Black”). The answer is yes, it can – the improvements here are not limited to the “Infinite Black Pro” displays. With our Klein K-10 pushed directly against the screen (as it always is during our calibration process), the same 0.02 cd/m2 measurement was returned from the black patch in the chart. We’re not sure what Panasonic has done to bring mixed-scene contrast performance up to this level, but it’s impressive to say the least. In side-by-side comparisons with last year’s G20, the improvement here was particularly noticeable with letterbox bars on 2.35:1 ratio films – the bars on the G30 stayed pitch black.

Unfortunately, the TX-P42G30B shows the exact same “brightness shifting” issue that we noticed with the GT30: with certain video content, the Plasma TV will appear to adjust gamma mid-way through a scene. Although we feel the effect is subtle, it does occur fairly frequently. Name any predominantly dark film you can think of, and odds are, eagle-eyed viewers will notice some shifting going on as they watch. In our GT30 review, we mentioned scenes from Se7en as revealing the issue, but we also noticed it during the newer, director-approved Blu-ray Disc of Silent Hill. In the latter example, there’s a scene early on in the film where a character runs out into a highway, only to narrowly avoid being hit by a truck. As soon as the truck appeared in shot, the TX-P42G30’s gamma characteristics would change, giving the scene a lighter look.

As with the GT30, we could not reproduce the issue in [THX] mode, which gave us stable brightness during our testing. However, the THX mode (while good for an uncalibrated preset) doesn’t offer any of the calibration options that the [Professional] modes do, which meant that Greyscale was slightly green-tinted, and Gamma was slightly too low, resulting in a less punchy image than would be ideal (on our individual review unit, at the time of measurement). We also experimented with other modes and found that the [Photo] mode was free of these brightness changes, but interestingly, uses a slightly rougher, noisier-looking panel drive mode with slightly more false contouring artefacts appearing during motion. This would make sense, since we’d imagine motion rendering was not the prime concern for a mode designed for displaying still images.

With this in mind, we attempted to calibrate the [THX] mode’s Greyscale by entering the TXP42G30’s service menu and adjusting the RGB-DRV and RGB-CUT controls. This is a potentially dangerous process (there are options in here which can turn your TV into a 42-inch paperweight if accidentally altered). We successfully calibrated Greyscale with this method, but couldn’t do anything about the THX mode’s lower gamma setting, which left images looking very slightly less punchy than we’d have liked. Again, this observation is based on comparisons of many, many high-definition televisions, and most users will have nothing to complain about. However, this situation means that each of the [Viewing Mode] options on the Panasonic TX-P42G30B has its own strengths and weaknesses which readers will want to know about. We measured every usable mode (disqualifying any which performed obvious dynamic contrast adjustments to the image, or those which enforced a non-standard colour gamut) and came to this list of the following choices:

  • [THX]: stable brightness, but no calibration controls. Greyscale correctable in service menu, colour very good, but Gamma locked to around 2.0 (our target is 2.2), resulting in a slightly less “rich” image. Peak light output measured at 130 cd/m2.
  • [Professional]: unstable brightness, but full calibration controls. Average Gamma of around 2.1; rich image. Peak light output limited to 100 cd/m2; darker than the [THX] mode.
  • [Photo]: stable brightness; Greyscale and Gamma calibration controls available, colour not adjustable but very good. Different dithering method results in noisier image with greater contouring during motion. Peak light output fully controllable with [Contrast] in this mode, 130 cd/m2 easily reachable. Available only with the HDMI AV inputs.

This is the second 2011 Panasonic Plasma that’s exhibited this behaviour. As usual, we have to be wary of writing essay length notes about a small problem, but we know that there are users out there who’ll consider this a deal-breaker. The fact that certain Viewing Modes are free of the problem makes us wonder if there’s any good reason why the [Professional] modes shouldn’t also be capable of showing stable brightness, but since we’re not Plasma TV engineers, we can only speculate. Although the brightness changes are subtle, especially compared to the auto-dimming shown by some LCD TVs, we do hope that Panasonic can iron this out with a firmware update.

Motion Resolution

Using the time-honoured motion resolution test chart on the FPD Benchmark Software test disc, we gauged the TX-P42G30B’s motion resolution at around 1080 lines. This result is a small improvement on the 900 lines measured from last year’s TX-P42G20. Although the Viera G20 plasma could technically resolve all 1080 lines, it required the Intelligent Frame Creation system to be turned on, and the resulting motion interpolation glitches didn’t really justify the imperceptible difference in clarity with real-world material. The reason for this year’s slight performance improvement is down to the fact that the Panasonic TX-P42G30 is using the new “Short-stroke Phosphor” material, previously reserved for the company’s plasma 3D TV sets. This new, faster-decaying phosphor material results in less of the green and blue streaks (“phosphor trails”) that can be witnessed when Plasma TVs display certain fast-moving objects.

Although the motion resolution of Plasma screens has always been high, they are not free of motion artefacts. In other words, although they can show all 1080 lines of resolution from a synthetic test pattern, motion will not necessarily appear perfect during real-world material. Specifically, eagle-eyed viewers can expect to see some noisiness around contrasted edges during fast-paced camera pans, as well as some coloured posterisation. We noticed this effect with both 50hz and 60hz high-motion (video camera) material. 24fps movies (low-motion content) do not have a high enough frame rate to really highlight any motion artefacts.

Unsurprisingly, 50hz (European) and 60hz (American/Japanese) sources both play back with slightly different motion characteristics. 60hz material is output by the panel at a refresh rate of 60hz, since this is generally high enough for (most) viewers to not notice flickering. On the other hand, 50hz video signals are output by the TX-P42G30B at a doubled refresh rate of 100hz, presumably to avoid flicker. Some users have complained that this causes a double-image effect during particularly fast camera movements from high-motion 50hz material. If the same 50hz frame is drawn twice in one single 100hz panel update, this would make logical sense, but we don’t feel that it’s a deal-breaker.

With high-motion video material, we did sometimes spot coloured “ridges” appearing during camera pans. These were unsightly, and also difficult to predict (certain tones and colours cause the Plasma television to produce motion artefacts, whereas others did not). The [Intelligent Frame Creation] system does result in slightly cleaner motion rendering (it reduces artefacts related to the panel’s sub-field driving but introduces new motion interpolation artefacts, like you’d see on a “200hz” LCD TV). On its “Mid” setting (which is the lowest of the two enabled options), the NeoPlasma panel will refresh at a multiple of the input refresh rate, avoiding judder – so 50hz TV signals are still output at 100hz with the IFC system set to “Mid”. The “Max” setting forces the panel to refresh at 60hz, which introduced some slight judder into fast camera movements. In any case, the [Intelligent Frame Creation] system is only really useful for high-motion video content: we always disabled it during film material to avoid the sped-up “soap-opera look”. Panasonic have been very vocal about the Intelligent Frame Creation technology over the last few years, but we hope they are not only concentrating on improving motion quality via this method. Most enthusiast users, many of whom will gravitate towards Plasma display technology due to its motion clarity potential, will want to use the HDTV with such “bells and whistles” disabled.

Standard Definition

The Panasonic TX-P42G30B performed well with standard-def video content. Video mode deinterlacing was excellent, and scaling was crisp and clean. For film content, enabling the [Clear Cinema] option allowed the 2-2 PAL and 3-2 NTSC film mode deinterlacing tests from the HQV Benchmark test discs to pass – in other words, to display film-originated content with full vertical resolution and no added jaggedness. However, real-world playback of the notoriously difficult 2-2 PAL cadence was less predictable and we did sometimes detect the 42G30 dropping back into Video deinterlacing mode during PAL film transfers, showing jaggies. As with the TX-P42GT30, pictures from the internal TV tuner displayed with some very, very subtle additional jaggedness, but this won’t be noticeable from most viewing distances.

ITV 2

This largely trouble-free processing, coupled with the Plasma’s excellent Greyscale and Colour performance, meant that SD material looked as good as we could expect it to on the TX-P42G30B.

High Definition

We spent a good amount of time critically watching some of our current favourite Blu-ray Disc materal on the TX-P42G30B, in both day and night conditions. During the day – that is, with some ambient light present – the image still had a good amount of contrast, allowing images to look sufficiently deep and involving. However, if viewing in particularly bright environments is a concern, we’d recommend LCD TV technology instead, since its screen illumination method can pump out enough light to compensate for mother nature’s rays.

Silent Hill screenshot 1

During night time viewing, the differences between the Panasonic G30 and the higher-specced GT30 became essentially insignificant, and we had no complaints at all. 24p material from Blu-ray Disc was reproduced clearly, without judder, and with full picture detail, without any unwanted revisionism. Image quality was very good (albeit subtly green-tinted) prior to calibration, but after the full treatment, the saturated reds in the caves from The Descent looked more vivid and deep. Similarly, during Silent Hill‘s opening scenes, the [THX] mode’s Gamma characteristics revealed a slight excess of shadow detail, diluting the impact of the dark surroundings a little. Areas of the frame which would ideally appear as being just above black were shown instead as dark grey with small tinges of red or green. Our calibrated [Professional] modes avoided this, and served as a reminder that, as excellent as the [THX] mode is, preset picture modes can only take you so far.

Silent Hill second screenshot

One other thing to note, relating to actual Digital TV broadcasting: during the review process, we did notice a quirk which resulted in the audio volume of Freeview HD channels sometimes suddenly jumping upwards, until we unselected and reselected the channel we were watching. We shared our findings with Panasonic, but at this time of writing, we’re unsure whether or not this issue is confined to our individual unit or local TV transmitter.

Update (21 April 2011): Once we notified them of our findings, Panasonic quickly resolved an issue we found relating to audio on Freeview HD channels with a firmware update. Owners experiencing a sudden jump in sound volume when viewing these channels should connect their G30 to the internet, enter the Setup menu, choose “System Menu”, then “System Update” to rectify the issue – or contact Panasonic for information about a firmware upgrade.

Console Gaming

Compared to a lag-free CRT monitor, the Panasonic TX-P42G30 lagged by only around 24ms in the [Game] picture mode, and indeed, the TXP42G30 provided a highly responsive gaming experience with almost no delay inbetween the user and the game world on screen.

Conclusion

Truth be told, after witnessing the GT30 with its Infinite Black Pro screen coating, stepping back down to the Panasonic TX-P42G30’s less light-resistant screen meant that we weren’t as immediately taken by it. Unless you watch TV in total darkness (in which case the differences between the Viera G30 and the 2D performance of the GT30 will be all but invisible), we’d suggest that prospective TX-P42G30B or TX-P50G30B buyers consider stepping up to the GT30, whether they are interested in 3D capabilities or not. Its Infinite Black Pro screen coating does afford the picture a certain depth and glossiness that the G30 can’t fully replicate. Is this, and the fact that the GT30 is also capable of 3D display, worth an extra £300-400, though? We’ll leave that for you to decide.

Back to the matter at hand, though: there are a few small quirks to anticipate with the TX-P42G30B, but after making readers aware of these, we still feel that a rating of “Highly Recommended” is just appropriate given the HDTV’s price of around £850 (although the brightness shifting and lack of calibration controls in the [THX] mode did make us consider dropping the rating down a notch). In the end, we simply can’t think of a more recommendable display at this price point – nothing else produces the same combination of deep blacks, freedom from viewing angle restrictions, and freedom from screen uniformity problems that Panasonic’s Plasma technology provides. Combined with its strengths of excellent Greyscale and Colour accuracy, we can’t imagine many users finding fault with the price-to-performance ratio on offer.

Highly Recommended

101 comments

  1. Hi,

    I was waiting for G30 test and now I have mixed feelings. I do not see any big improvements but film cadence detection.
    Now when price of last years Panasonic V20 drops they are almost at the same price level. How would you compare those two models exp. for viewing during a day?

  2. Thanks a lot ! complete review

  3. @Les
    The V20 will look better during the day due to the Infinite Black Pro screen coating.
    Mixed-scene contrast performance is probably the biggest improvement over the G20. But I agree, there’s not a lot of difference. The G20 was really a very good HDTV to begin with.

  4. Hi.
    Can you post the settings for calibration please.
    Mfg.

  5. which do you think more distracting? floating blacks or shifting gamma?

    Thanks

  6. @David,

    I’d really appreciate a touch more perspective on the GT30’s new improved G series filter compared to last years Vseries ‘pro’ filter.

    I have a window shining on my TV location and a V20 works well, a G20 was a nightmare however. I’m interested to know how the GT30 would fare in this position compared to these 2 sets (specifically the V20).

    Thanks in advance.

  7. Hi
    Could you test the input lag in the [Professional] mode please

  8. (apologies, I thought I was pasting my comment in the GT30 review. I have added it there too)

  9. Also how many FTL is 100 cd/m2? is it to dark for viewing during the day?

  10. David,

    Thank you for your answer. I think I will go for V20 then.
    Even in terms of power consumption G30 offer no significant savings over v20.

    You have not tested it but I think G30 may be great model for people who need multimedia set to watch various video formats (according to specifications of this tv).

  11. Thanks again for an excellent series of reviews. I particularly like the way that over the years, you’ve maintained consistency of content in your reviews even as you adapt your testing and introduce new elements, making it relatively easy to compare newer models with ones you may’ve bought previously.

    In that regard, I know that you find the Intelligent Frame Creation on these Panasonics and frame interpolation in general to be about as much of a credible feature as some of the more ‘dynamic’ colour modes and it was your stance on this that helped me choose the TH-P46Z80 over the Z85 a few years ago.

    However, having recently upgraded to a 46G20 recently I have found that it serves a genuine purpose;
    Moving from a few LCD panels that I was never entirely happy with in comparison to previous CRT sets, in particular when it came to gaming, I was looking forward to the very rapid response times associated with plasmas and the Z80 certainly had that, however the absolutely brutal frame transitions can make playing 30fps games that lack realistic motion blur quite a staccato experience.

    With the G20, I can enable IFC without taking a response time hit, unlike some LCD panels, and it very definitely makes watching 30fps games more bearable, in particular I’ve found that it’s made NFS:Hot Pursuit look almost like a 60fps game at times. It’s a little inconsistent and sometimes it will drop back to looking like a 30fps game without IFC but on balance I’d much rather have the slightly uneven but generally smoother experience.

  12. Thanks for these timely reviews, guys.

    I’ve got an ST30 and I have to agree about the ANSI contrast. The most apparent thing I’ve noticed on this year’s model is that ANSI contrast really adds punch to the picture in scenes with moderate contrast.

    I think there’s been an improvement in color, but I’m not sure.

    Was color equal to the G20 or do the G/GT30s have better color i.e. richer, more accurate, better saturation?

  13. Thanks for the review David, it’s as good as usual.

    However, I’m still a bit lost when it comes to input lag, which was the very reason why I didn’t bought a G20 last year.
    Back in 2010, Vincent reviewed the G20 and measured its input lag to be between 30 – 46 ms. However, you did review this unit for another site and you measured it as 21 ms…

    1. Sooo, how can you get this difference between two similar units? Did Vincent tested an IFC enabled unit ? What is the “real ” input lag on a G20?
    2. How accurate are your results, to the truth ?
    3. Is it possible that screen size affects input lag? If I buy a 50 inches unit, will I end up with the same input lag ?
    4. Is it possible that european markets are provided with units having a different response delay ?
    5. I still own a Sony W4500 which you measured as having 0-10 ms lag… Am I going to feel a difference if I buy a G30, or are those 24 ms decent enough for gaming ?
    6. And finally, Is the G30 this much of an improvement compared to a G20 ? If the G20 units are indeed 20 ms input lag ones, maybe it’d a cleverer, as in cheaper, choice for a half videogames and half movies fan, don’t you think ?

    Please, I need your enlightment here !!
    Thanks !!

  14. Is it really good for gaming??

  15. Can you please tell me what is the colour temperature on THX mode out of the box?
    Also, in a pitch black room, the difference in black level between iG30 em GT30 is none, am I right?

  16. G20 at dixons online 50 inch version only 649.99. BARGAIN

  17. Could your please explain this?
    Full 4:4:4 reproduction (PC) No, 4:4:4 input subsampled
    Does 4:4:4 mean RGB 4:4:4 or YCC 4:4:4? (I guess it’s YCC [if it’s subsampled] but why would you output YCC from your PC…?) And what does the NO mean? (Is the YCC 4:4:4 resampled to YCC 4:2:2 and back to 4:4:4 again…? It would be nonsens. ; Would it mean that PC levels are resamped to video levels?)

    It would be a deal-breaker for me if I couldn’t use it with my PC (native HDMI output but the native format is full-range RGB 4:4:4, YCC and limited ranges are only mockups with current VGA cards. I need full range RGB…)

  18. David,
    How is the design of G30 compared to the GT30?
    Guys on hdtelevizija.com wrote that desig of G30 is not good and that is almost the same as G20.

  19. Hi David

    I bought this TV yesterday. Few questions.

    Which is the correct sharpness setting where there is no softening or sharpening of pixels introduced?

    Also to get the best response time does game mode have to be enabled? I would prefer just to leave it THX or Normal mode and be done with it.

    Thanks

  20. re:legacy connections,

    I would be quite put out by the loss of the second scart as it used to feature s-video and I still have S-VHS decks and an extensive tape library; a lot of recorded material I have will never make it to DVD. DVD used for permanent archiving isn’t sound either : all disc media will “rot ” sometime in the future – a question of WHEN not IF! ;-o

    I know you like to rib the inclusion of COMPOSITE : it is there for a reason, not for AV-PHILEs so much, but plenty of camcorders and digital still cameras feature it as a standard connection. Not all of these feature HDMI or even USB connections, and SD cards for such components are not the prevailing standard : WHERE is Panasonic’s support for CompactFlash cards hmmmm???

    There is a notably lack of coverage here or on AVFORUMS for testing with digital still devices i.e. cameras. I don’t see any calibration done with respect to that.

    Having owned a V20 which featured a PHOTO mode, I can see that is quite different from the video modes in how it displays HD (or greater) digital film sources.
    Its “film reversal” option is of note : at least Panasonic are taking note of other users of their televisions here.

    My Dad is an avid photographer and owns a Nikon Digital SLR camera; his TV is a 50″ Panasonic S10. We have found that the often cited CINEMA mode isn’t suitable here : NORMAL mode is the preference.

    I think this and other sites need to look beyond Film/Video reproduction on TVs : there are other HD sources too!! (Digital SLR resolution exceeds HD : interesting to know how well it downscales! ;-) )

  21. I am drawn between this, the v20, and a sony nx713 which are all about the same price… unfortunately cannot justify the price for the gt30 as I need a tv asap!

    but after this i think i am between the v20 and the sony…

  22. Witnessed a 42″ G30 being started for the first time in the store last week. I felt it was a huge let-down because of the green tint – it was not subtle compared to the various LCD/LED all around it. It was very GREEN…

    I thought it was a faulty unit or needed some adjustment – but I saw the guy starting it and he just went for default settings. Didn’t even activate store-mode. After the review I’m not so sure any more if I actually want it any more.

    Is there any way one can follow a step-by-step instruction to tune the green tint away? Without the paper-weight issue being likely, don’t need such a big paper wheight ;-)

  23. In general for Movies/Gaming/Sports is this about right:

    GT30>V20>G30>GT20>G20?

  24. Hi david. Just a little question about gamma. Can you mesure the gamma out of the box with the cinema mode or the pro mode, but without calibration. is ti better than thx.

    I ask thaht because i want to change me V10. I normaly use thx mode, but this yaer, it seems to be not good. But the point is, i don’t want to calibrate my tv. So finaly whixh mode is the best “out of the box” or with few settles.

    Thanks for the answer

  25. David,

    I am a little confused now, are we Europeans now facing the potential -fluctuating Brightness -problem like our fellows in U.S. ar facing, or are we safe of that potential problem by using THX-modes instead of pro -settings etc.?

  26. Thanks for the review David,
    I guess you are describing issue that is refereed to as 50Hz bug on various forums in this section:
    “With high-motion video material, we did sometimes spot coloured “ridges” appearing during camera pans. These were unsightly, and also difficult to predict (certain tones and colours cause the Plasma television to produce motion artefacts, whereas others did not).”

    Also I’m confused about 2:2 cadence detection – the Benchmark Test Results table says “passed” but in the text you say:
    “2-2 PAL cadence was less predictable and we did sometimes detect the 42G30 dropping back into Video deinterlacing mode during PAL film transfers, showing jaggies.”

  27. David Mackenzie

    @T:
    Personally, I found the shifting gamma that the “Professional” modes on the 2011 models show is slightly more noticeable than the “floating blacks” of 2010. It’s a tough choice: the 2010 models showed floating blacks in all modes; in 2011 the shifting gamma is (IMO) more noticeable, but the THX mode appears to be free of it.

    @Inbox4:
    That is very difficult to say without comparing the TVs side by side. I’d imagine any differences will be quite small. If you have a lot of light in your viewing environment, maybe it would be better to look towards LCD?

    @Dave:
    It’s the same in the Professional mode, provided you don’t have Intelligent Frame Creation on.

    @Dave:
    There’s a converter here: http://www.convertworld.com/en/luminance/Foot-lambert.html
    100 cd/m2 is about 30 ftl.

    @Paul:
    That’s interesting that you found IFC useful for 30fps games. Like you, I don’t understand why 30fps is seen as an acceptable standard for gaming. I much prefer the feeling that 60fps gives. I tried IFC on the 2011 displays and found that the lag was quite noticeable (I’m sensitive to it). Furthermore, with the game I tried (Halo: Reach), it was pretty ineffective in increasing the frame rate. I’d often see it backing off and stopping the interpolation if movements were too great.

    @Matt:
    An ST30, cool! We didn’t get the chance to check one out yet, but I’m glad to hear the ANSI contrast performance is up to the standard of the G30 and GT30.
    The G20 didn’t have any obvious issues with colour, although the Luminance controls on the G30 probably mean that it’s marginally more accurate.

    @Park:
    1. It’s probably down to the measurements. My own personal method is to compare against a CRT display and average the results.
    2. See above ^
    3. It’s possible, but I’ve not seen any evidence of this on the Panasonic Plasmas. I’ve heard that several 40″ LCDs have worse input lag than the 32″ equivalent models, though.
    4. It’s possible yes, because the UK models do go through a slightly different development path. I wouldn’t imagine there should be big differences though.
    5. I believe the W4500 measurement was taken comparing it to a fast LCD, whereas more recently we started measuring against a lag-free CRT. In other words, you don’t have anything to worry about going to a G30.
    6. The G30 is really not much different to the G20. It’s got better styling and better ANSI contrast performance, but you lose the satellite tuner.

    @Alexander:
    I enjoyed gaming on it very much!

    @Pedro:
    About 6750k.
    Re black level: Almost no difference. I doubt many would be able to tell with their

    eyes alone.

    @Toth F Janos:
    In this case it was RGB. But we’ve never seen a TV which reproduces full chroma resolution in Y/Cb/Cr but not RGB. This is not the same as Video vs PC Levels.
    The TV does not show full chroma resolution from a 4:4:4 source – few TVs do. Ones that do fairly consistently are Samsung’s displays, when the input is labeled as “PC”.

    @Deo:
    See the review. The GT30 is definitely nicer looking, in my eyes.

    @WF:
    The correct setting is 0 (slider all the way to the left).

    @Darren:
    Good point! I’d have assumed most cameras are using HDMI now, but perhaps not.

    @KeMa:
    I didn’t save calibration settings for this TV, sorry. From memory, I ended up reducing the G-Gain control in the Advanced > White Balance menu by about -10 clicks.

    @Stanners:
    GT30>V20>G30>GT20>G20 is just about right, but if you don’t care about 3D, GT20 and G20 are about equal.

    @Bubul03:
    I measured all the modes – Cinema was not better than THX, Pro was very similar. THX is still the best out of the box mode.

    @A-M:
    I’d like to know this too. Reports from the US indicate that the THX mode on those models displays the brightness fluctuation. I couldn’t reproduce it during any of the tests I did on either the UK GT30 or the UK G30. The THX mode could still have brightness fluctuations, but I didn’t see any – and I tested thoroughly.

    @glypto:
    The 2-2 test sequence from the HQV Disc test passed. But sometimes with real world material, the film mode detection would fail. So, the test passed, but that doesn’t mean that it’s totally trouble free.

  28. Thanks David.
    Now, two last questions. I am not sensitive to que posterization and 50hz motion bug, however i am extremely sensitive to phosphor trails (as well as motion blur form LCD). Knowing that, would you agree that the G30 is a better alternative than the V20 due to the faster phosphors? For exemple, I can clearly see phosphor trails on a G20 and almost none on a VT20.
    The other is, I have both a Sony LCD from 2006 and a Sony wide CRT. Besides detail on still images, i prefer the picture quality of my CRT. Blacks, motion, colours. But a notice extremely poor ANSI contrast on the CRT when watching in pitch black. So, to you agree that que G30 will be an upgrade over the CRT? It has no AR coating, only SD and 50hz.

    Thanks a lot!

  29. Hi.
    What about the calibration settings?
    Why dont you share them like on the gt30?
    PS: My question was first but you didnt answered it.
    Mfg.

  30. David Mackenzie

    @Pedro: the G30 will have less phosphor trailing than the V20, yes – but there’s still a bit of it.
    It does sound like the G30 will be a good alternative to your CRT, yes.

    @MIcha:
    Sorry for missing your question. In this case, I didn’t save the calibration settings. However, if you go to the GT30 review and use the settings from there, you might get a decent result – remembering of course that copying settings, especially on a phosphor-driven display, won’t get a perfect result.

  31. Please, how exactly i can downgrade the green shadow on the picture? Thanks.

  32. Hi

    Thanks for the great review. I really enjoy reading these reviews.

    Regarding the loss of the VGA input, I must say I think it’s a bit of a shame. I have a G20 and plan on using the VGA port for my Dreamcast through a VGA box. It looks terrible using RGB-Scart.

    From reading some of the comments I gather that picture wise there isn’t that big a difference between the G20 and G30. Do you guys agree with this?

    Cheers.

  33. David Mackenzie

    @Daniel: make sure [advance(isfccc)] is turned on, select the Professional mode, go to Advanced Settings > White Balance and reduce the two Green controls. Setting these by eye will not get you perfectly accurate results, but if you feel there is an obvious tint to the image, altering the settings might help.

    @Marny M: I almost mentioned this in the review. The Dreamcast is my favourite gaming system. It’s the only real reason (other than older laptops) I can think of for the VGA port.

  34. Thank you for a thorough review, as always, David.

    I have a question though.

    I recently bought the G20 at a good price after selling my PX80, knowing that the G30 was about to be released. The GT30 was out of the equation from the beginning as I can’t afford it.

    Coming from the PX80, the G20 is really great. It’s not a revolution (picture-wise) but the difference is clear. Especially in functionality and features.

    However, I’m having some second thoughts about my purchase. Should I stay with the G20 or pay the extra £200-300 to get the G30?

  35. Hello guys, Im just considering getting this TV but right in the shop I saw the GT20 is selling for little less than G30 and the clerk was trying to convince me that according to their experience the GT20 from last year has a better picture quality compared to G30 and has the 3D capability as a benefit. Well Im not a huge fan of 3D watching on a 42 set so Im most concerned about 2D picture quality. Which set would you guys recommend? Thank you.

  36. Hi.
    @David
    I have taken the calibration settings from the gt30 like you said and it realy seems that my g30 is like a calibrated tv.
    You should often share the calibration settings because they seem to work.
    Thank you.

  37. David Mackenzie

    Calibrated settings are a tricky area. If the TV has tons of different and weird options, then we’ll explain what worked for us to give us the most accurate image. But just remember that, especially on Plasma displays, the Greyscale tracking varies from TV to TV so there’s no “one size fits all” solution (that’s the point of the THX mode, and you can see from the measurements above that it’s too green – at least in the out of the box stage).

  38. David Mackenzie

    @Benjamin Lindo:
    The G30 has better contrast performance all things considered, but if you got a good deal on a G20, I wouldn’t spend too much time with buyer’s remorse.

    @Pavel:
    There’s nothing that would make me recommend the GT20 over the G30 in terms of 2D picture quality.

  39. David, looking at your answer to Stanners about the following equation (for 2D viewing):

    GT30>V20>G30>GT20>G20

    If you were to add the VT20, would it be better or worse than the G30? Thanks a lot!

  40. David Mackenzie

    The VT20 is still better than the G30. It has a deeper black level and better screen coating.

  41. Tóth F. János

    Sorry, but I still don’t understand.

    Terms like “chroma-, or luma- resolution” are meaningless in the RGB space, it is only meaningfull in color spaces like yxY , YCbCr or Lab

    But you clearly stated that it was an RGB signal and it’s not a digital range issue (0..255 vs 16..235). But what is that?

    The only way to reduce the actual chroma resolution while preservig the luma resolution of the RGB 4:4:4 input is to convert it back to a color space like YCC, resample the chroma map (for example YCC4:4:4->YCC4:2:2) and convert it back to RGB 4:4:4 (plasma panels are built from equal number of RGB subpixels, so they should be driven like that…).

    Doing something like RGB 4:4:4 Full Range -> RGB 4:4:4 Limited Range (when it’s done properly) won’t change the chroma resolution.

    Now, the only thing which comes up in my mind that the signal processing of the TV was optimized to deal with YCC data. (This would be reasonable as almost every SDTV/HDTV/DVD/BD contents are encoded in YCC, mainly in YCC4:2:0)
    So, may be it converts the RGB input back to YCC (a lossy format like YCC4:2:2) to do the internal calculations (gamut, gamma, white point correction, and other “mumbo-jumpo-features” if any…) and convert it back to RGB to drive the panel.

    This is not a problem if you feed your TV with TV-broadcasts or YCC4:2:2 signals from your external DVD/BD player. But it would make it virtually useless with PCs (where the netive format is RGB4:4:4 Full Range) and external players which doesn’t offer YCC output formats (only RGB).

    Could you please explain it further? (Sorry, I am a little new in the TV world…)
    (And does your Samsung note applies for samsung plasmas as well?)

  42. David Mackenzie

    >> Doing something like RGB 4:4:4 Full Range -> RGB 4:4:4 Limited Range (when it’s done properly) won’t change the chroma resolution.

    It will if the TV converts everything to Y/Cb/Cr 4:2:2 for processing, which is what appears to be happening here.

    Samsung TVs actually do preserve the full chroma bandwidth if you label the input as “PC”.

  43. Tóth F. János

    Thanks.

    So, the Panasonic plasmas fail to deal with the RGB inputs. Very sad…

    Unfortunately the smallest FullHD Samsung plasma (at least in the 2011 series) is 51″ which is too big for me. (I don’t need that big size, so I don’t wish to pay for that big size either…)

    I will keep my fixed-60Hz IPS (with it’s ~800:1 calibrated contrast ; but brilliant color accuracy) and enjoy the judder with BDs, I guess. :(

  44. Tóth F. János

    Oh, I almost forgot to ask: Is it possible to use the CinemaSmooth feature (as much as I understand it’s the judder-free 24fps playback without interpolated frames, is it?) while you use that “PC” mode on Samsung plasmas (and feed them with Full-Range RGB4:4:4)?

  45. @Tóth
    But I don’t get it… If you want to connect your PC to the TV just to see video content, you won’t notice any difference, am I wrong?
    The problem would be if you want to work with for instance image processing, right?

  46. Tóth F. János

    @Nagroud

    1: Yes, I also want to play PC games (and do other PC stuff, but the proper Blu-Ray watching is my main concern).
    2: The native format of the GPU processing is always “Full Range RGB 4:4:4” and nothing could change that. So I can only output this format from my PC without artifacts (conversion losses, ect).

    So, Pana plasmas are useless with a PC if you really care about the picture quality.

    But I just noticed that a PN51D550 has the same price than the 42G30.
    It’s too big for my current PC-room but, well… I could be that flexible if it would absolutely worth it…

    So I want to know if the PC mode doesn’t break anything (ike the judderfree playback) and I would see one for myself then. (I already tested a G20 and it was horrible with PC input. Now, I know why…)

  47. @Tóth
    This is a shame then… That should be a deal beaker for many people. I know quite a few people who use homebrew mediaserver systems that in the end are just a PC with some special components to make it less noisy, etc.

    I have connected my laptop to an old crappy Samsung LCD via HDMI and well, PQ was not great and I could even “enjoy” mild but noticeable judder when watching HD content (24fps). Picture quality as I mentioned was not great but it hadn’t been anyway because of the TV.

    I am trying to decide which panasonic 2011 plasma to buy, but if PC input picture quality is not on par to for instance when the signal comes from a BD player, then it’s not worth the investment in my case.

  48. Good Tv of plasma, I hope that you do soon a review of the models led, thank you.

  49. @David
    Hi.
    I have calibrated my own tv with a spyder 3 now.
    It was like you said that the settings are a little different from tv to tv.
    I was able to get nearly all delta errors under 2 on the g30.
    Gamma was 2.4 on my tv.
    Bye Micha.

  50. Hi, in the model comparison, VT20 is upper or lower than V20? I need 46″, is the same than all the other size? I read that in 2D V20 is better, isn’t it? Or what are good and bad of this tv? Thanks a lot!

  51. Hi.
    VT20 is the 3d tv and V20 is just 2d.
    Mfg.

  52. Hi David,
    I’ve recently bought a G30, and found 1 thing to be really annoying.
    When watching TV volume adjusts itself. I usually have it turned down, and after staying on the same channel for a while sometimes it goes up to almost 50%.
    This could wake up the dead! Have you had the same experience?

  53. “With this in mind, we attempted to calibrate the [THX] mode’s Greyscale by entering the TXP42G30’s service menu and adjusting the RGB-DRV and RGB-CUT controls.”

    How can I select THX in service menu? Only options I got is “DYNAMIC/NORMAL/CINEMA”.

  54. David Mackenzie

    @Komurka
    THX mode’s Greyscale is a derivative of the Cinema/WARM setting. So unfortunately you need to select this in service mode, make changes, then return to user mode and measure the difference. Hope you’re patient!

  55. David / Micha or anyone else,

    Can you share the calibration seetings for the G30?

  56. @Bart: yes I just had exactly the same experience this week: a 42G30, bought from Amazon, with the latest firmware. Happens with or without the automatic gain control. Seems worst on ITV-HD for some reason.

    According to posts on avforums, Panasonic is aware of the problem and hope to issue a firmware fix, but with no ETA. Sadly, this customer wasn’t prepared to wait, so Amazon are sending a courier to collect it.

    I’ve recommended they replace it with a V20. Less bleeding-edge, and about the same price.

  57. David Mackenzie

    @Bart and Richi Jennings:
    Yes, this is an issue I found during the review process and I reporetd it to Panasonic. Is the new firmware not available yet via the TV’s download menus?

  58. Two more questions about calibration and service menu – is there any way to change pro1 and pro2 setting? Also is it possible (if pro1/pro2 can be manipulated from SM) to increase ftL for pro modes (highest I get was 29 and that is low) ?

  59. G30′ input lag with IFC enable is over 60ms?

  60. Hi.
    My calibrated settings are:
    Pro1:
    Con:
    36
    Bri:
    30 (0)
    Col:
    30
    Sha:
    2 from minimum
    Whitebalance:
    5
    0
    8
    6
    0
    4
    Gamma 2.4
    The whitebalance settings could be different from tv to tv.
    Mfg.

  61. Unfortunately it seems that the firmware update is not yet out. I’m checking for this every day when I first start up the TV, but message I get is that Software is up to date.
    Version I have (supposedly up to date) is: 1.204. Hopefully this will change soon. Will keep you guys posted as soon as firmware will be out.

    @Micha: Can you share which ‘spider3’ you used to calibrate your G30? I want to buy this one myself but I’m not sure if I should go for the ‘TV’ version or will ‘express’ be enough. Or maybe it would be better to use ‘Eye One’?
    Regards.

  62. Thanks Micha,
    Your settings has improved picture quality slightly.
    I guess by sha: you mean shapness.

  63. Hi.
    I have the spyder3 tv version.
    Mfg.

  64. Hello David, I wonder how could you NOT see the “shifting brightness” in THX mode?? I can easily reproduce it in ANY display mode (including THX) no matter what options I set on or off! Steps to reproduce: (computer required)

    1) use some dark wallpaper as a background image on your HTPC’s desktop
    2) open some white window (like Create a new text file) and resize it so it is not maximized but let’s say 2/3 of the whole screen only
    3) now Minimize / Restore the window and see for yourself – apparently the brightness is changing in several steps to darker / brighter as a reaction to minimizing / restoring

    I can also see this “fluctuation” when watching movies / TV programs; although it is not THAT much visible, it is still there and I spot it even if not looking for it.

    It is really disappointing and now I wonder whether to keep this (otherwise fairly good) TV or not…

  65. David Mackenzie

    @Johnny B
    What you described is Automatic Brightness Limiting, which is separate. Pretty much all (or all?) Plasmas do ABL, whereas the brightness shifting (more properly “gamma shifting”) is more unique.

  66. Thank you for the response David.
    ABL you say? What is this good for actually?? Never heard of it (coming from LCD world). I believe I don’t need this at all – can it be deactivated somehow?

    Anyway, as I already mentioned I do notice the fluctuation issue while watching movies / TV programs too and no matter what is causing it, it is bad…
    I very easily found a 100% reproducible scenario:
    Movie “Avatar”, chapter 2 – the “security brief” scene (starting around 6:30). It is interesting that depending on the display mode (I compared Professional and THX), the shifts come in slightly different moments, nevertheless in both modes the gamma IS shifting like hell (e.g. several times, 3-4x only in that one scene), which is NOT what I would call “subtle” at all! :-(

  67. Hello David,

    I found this website today and wanted to thank you for this extremely thorough review.

    I currently have a very old bulky CRT tv which needs to be replaced ASAP. At the same time I would upgrade my Sky+ to Sky+ HD, I would buy a blu ray player with DVD upscaling capabilities, and probably a PS3 too (mostly for FPS and football games).

    I am fairly certain that this is the new television for me, though I would appreciate confirmation based upon my anticipated usage (listed in order from most usage to least usage):
    -watching football, presumably mostly in HD
    -watching movies and tv programs from my laptop (connected via a HDMI cable)
    -watching HD tv channels
    -watching SD tv channels
    -playing the PS3
    -watching my DVDs (upscaled via the blu ray player – I currently own almost 200)
    -playing my Wii
    -watching blu ray discs (this will move up the list, slowly, as I buy more)

    If I am barking up the wrong tree and this tv is not suitable, could you please suggest a better alternative?

    Many thanks in advance!!

  68. Hi there,

    I can’t decided between the 42inch g30 and gt30.
    I’m not bothered for 3D or Freesat.

    The gt30 will cost me £384 more than the g30 if i purchase from Amazon and get the extended warranty.

    The main difference for me it appears will be the daytime viewing thing.

    Is the gt30 worth the extra £384?
    should i try haggling in store?
    Thanks.

  69. Today I visited local Panasonic showroom (I live in Prague, Czech Republic). Unfortunately they did not have G/G30 models there yet but what they did have was 55″ VT30. Once we turned off the lights and made the room as dark as possible (still some light and reflections there though), I could see the very same issue I am experiencing on my G30 in my living room e.g. “shifting gamma” during “security briefing” scene in Avatar (chapter 2), depending on display mode (THX vs. Professional) happening in slightly different moments. So I showed and explain this issue to the sales rep and he DID confirm he can see it too (naturally he was very surprised and had no idea why is it happening). He promised me to show and consult this with the technician and eventually to report this to the Czech development team or to Japan if needed (to my surprise I was told that not only the sets for Europe are manufactured in Czech Republic, but there are also Research & Development teams here incl. Software team).

    All in all it seems to be obvious / confirmed that ALL new plasma models from Panasonic this year suffer from this “shifting gamma” issue incl. the top VT model (I saw P50G30E and P55VT30E for myself). Let’s hope this can be fixed with just a newer firmware…

  70. I just had a call with the local sales rep. He told me that today they had a meeting with some Panasonic sales / technical guy who travels the whole Europe introducing all new models etc. (in other words a competent person) and he confirmed that this issue is in fact a FEATURE (supposedly some “enhanced brightness perception”) and that for this moment Panasonic has no plans to fix / tweak it at all!

    The only recommendation I got was to pass this to all the people affected:
    if you notice the shifting brightness and you are not happy about it, please contact the Technical Support and let them know – the more complaints they get, the more probably Panasonic will change their mind and fix it eventually…

  71. Hi David, etc.

    This is not a joke question actually, I still use my VCR a lot and now the old standard telly set died was wondering just how crappy VHS will look on this TV via scart (because I’m sure it probably will lol), more precisely how crappy…jaggies or just plain ugly/grainy, etc. ? ;-) I’m also interested if I can even record on tape what’s broadcast anymore! :-/ Finally, do NTSC signals (like R1 DVDs) perform without nastiness like jaggies, etc.? Thanks.

  72. David Mackenzie

    @Grazza J:
    Nope, the G30 is a very nice HDTV. I think you’ll be very happy.

  73. David Mackenzie

    @Harry O
    It will look like VHS :) Jaggies, not so much. VHS doesn’t have the resolution required to actually produced much obvious jaggedness – more blurriness.
    Provided that you can supply your VHS VCR with a PAL signal via its Composite or SCART input, you’ll be able to record… but why not try the G30’s “record to USB hard drive” feature instead?

    NTSC signals work nicely on this TV.

  74. Thanks David. Since I’m not BD yet but still a DVD SD man with many R1 discs think I’ll try this TV then as all in all it does sound like a nice looking set for the price, and a slight improvement I understand over the G20.

  75. David,

    Can you tell me if these new Panasonic Plasma’s with Freeview HD meet the final HD spec so that they can correctly decode the surround sound streams on the HD channels? I put of buying the 2010 models when I found out that this was a problem.

    Thanks

    Sean

  76. Hi David.

    I know you’ve kinda answered the question already, but which set would you be going for when choosing between V20/G30? I’ve seen both sets next to each other at the local store, and the V20 is actually cheaper right now. Spontainoiusly, I liked the V20 picture more than the G30, it was darker in ambient light, and slightly darker in dimmed environment too. While the G30 delivered slighty crisper picture and slightly better contrast.

    I’ve been looking at the pros and cons of both sets for a couple of weeks, googling and going insane. So my question is, which set would you, personally, choose at the same price?

  77. David Mackenzie

    @Nicolas
    I’d probably go for the V20 thanks to that great screen coating… although the G30 has slightly lessened phosphor trailing visible.

  78. David, thanks for your fast reply. How about V20 vs VT20?

    I know that the 42″ VT20 has a high input lag (around 47ms?), I’m not a huge gamer, but I like use the PS3 occasionally, and when I do, mostly fps games…

    However, if I got it right, it has faster phosphors and slightly deeper blacks than the V20. I can get the VT20 for £825, and the V20 for £875 (yes, the VT20 is currently available at a lower price than V20).

    Is the input lag noticeable when playing games and watching movies with external audio? Either way, which of the two sets would you prefer?

    Thanks

  79. I’ve recently bought a 42G30. My concern with the set is that it’s incredibly dim. I’ve only been running the set for 10hrs or so, but watching Bourne Supremacy on 2D Blu-Ray lots of the dark scenes are just too dark to watch (even in darkness). I’ve tried all the various modes and tried playing around with them (complete novice) yielding no better results.

    There are lots of threads online about how the sets improve after they’ve settled in – was this the case with your sample tv or should I be concerned?

    NB: My old set was a Samsung Plasma and I’m aware not to be expecting the brightness of an LCD/LED backlit set.

  80. @ Nick Herring

    I have had my G30 for over a week now and you are right initially it is dark at times however I have ‘messed’ around with some of the settings and almost have the picture I want. I too am a complete novice!

    It is very much a case of experimentation or search google and try some of the settings dotted around the net.

    I have found that watching The One Show on Beeb One HD is a good programme to have on when testing the different settings! For some reason they just love their red lighting on that show! :-)

  81. @ MG

    Thank you for your reply. May I be cheeky and ask where you got settings that worked for you or if you could post them up I would really appreciate it

  82. Glad I bought the G20 last year ! I would definitely miss the VGA computer input.. and the satellite tuner is a great asset combined with the USB recording. It’s cheaper than the G20 was this time last year though so there you go !

  83. Hi hdtvtest, may you post tour calibrated settings for this tv, considering each mode of view (THX, professional, Photo)
    Thanks to you

  84. HI Micha. Can you post settings about color balance?

    Thanks

  85. Hi,

    I’m also interested in the calibration settings. I don’t have the device for proper color calibration and I don’t plan to buy one just for calibrating my TV set :) I understand that calibration settings may vary even if the model number is the same but I guess it’s better that nothing.

    Thanks,
    Csaba

  86. Hi.
    @Tommaso
    I dont make color calibration atm.
    Mfg.

  87. Thanks. So we can ask them to the reviewer?

    Thanks again!

  88. Hi,

    Do you know if the TX-P42S30 gonna be reviewed?

    I’m from Paris and here, we can get the TX-P42S30 for 250-300€ less than TX-P42G30, about 500€ for the TX-P42S30.

    I need a new TV for gamin’ first with my PS3 so if the “Console Gaming” part between the S30 & the G30 are comparable, I’m ok for a S30.

    I can deal with video processing differences (S30 serie get no THX, no High Contrast Filter, no Infinite Black) but I really need same or better results fot input lag , “responsivity”, phosphor trail reducing.

    Thank you for you advices…

    T.

  89. @Tek

    http://hdtelevizija.com/2011/05/11/recenzija-plazma-2d-panasonic-tx-p42s30e-107-cm/

    Attention! TV Panasonic TX-P42S30E have not the advanced settings for each color and gamma. Maybe in service menu. Nothing about pixel mapping 1:1 in the Operating Instructions.

  90. Thank U+++++

    This review is great !

    T.

  91. @TeK

    Based on this review I have bought the Panasonic TX-P42S30E and I am very pleased with the conversion PAL to Full HD at the movies.
    So far tested on normal SD satellite broadcasts. With Vreal live is not much difference against the Astra HD (viewing distance from 2.5 metres).
    Excellent video processor. But I am not satisfied with the Sport mode (none)
    and TV is not shining so much as a CRT or especially LCD , it’s a pity in some respects.

  92. David

    After this very good review I have purchased this TV. I am mostly very pleased apart from when there is a particularly dark scene (almost black) and there is just one area of light, someone holding a burning torch for instance, the screen seems unable to cope and causes large pixalation of colour around this area. Is this normal or should I be concerned?

    Other than this the picture is excellent!

    Anybody else noticed this?

    Thanks for your help

  93. David: I notice the same thing!

  94. @elspsresador

    is it quite large blocks/areas in this situation?

    I’m sure my previous panasonic plasma (5 years old) did not do this.

  95. David Mackenzie

    @Simon
    If it looks like actual blocks then it’s almost certainly a compression issue or something else in the source.

    But if you’re describing contouring, then the way the PDP is driven can cause this to appear. There’s a scene in the animated film “Ponyo” (which ironically was encoded and authored by Panasonic for the US release) where a glowing aura surrounding one of the characters causes some strange artefacts when played back on one of their PDPs.

    Can you describe the appearance in more detail?

  96. @David MacKenzie

    Thank you for your response.

    It is quite hard to describe. It is blocks/areas where the picture is dark. They appear to flicker slightly as the picture moves. I have since noticed under more conditions than I described in my first post, although it is always most prevalent in dark scenes, almost never in light scenes. They are really noticabIe on a night when the room is dark with no ambient light. I do not tend to watch any other source other than Sky HD. I have since read on various forums about compression issues with Sky HD(you
    Mention compression above). Is it possible this is causing the problem? I have seen some of the contouring you describe and it is not that.

    Thank you for your help.

  97. Changing 20 to 30 one would think this tv is an improvement over last year’s. But lacking the HD sat tuner, a second Scart socket and a PC input is a way of cheapening the manufacture to get more profit without adding anything significant.

    What would be useful is an ability to read more mp3 formats from the SD card. At the moment this feature is virtually unusable since the mp3 format require is rather obscure.

  98. I’m really wondering when Panasonic will finally start being consistent and logical about deciding about which models should get the Infinite Black Pro filter…

    Now, if you want a 2D plasma with the span of features of a G30 AND good daytime viewing provided by the Infinite Black Pro filter), you are ACTUALLY being forced to buy a GT30 which is a 3D model, BUT YOU DON’T WANT A 3D TV!!!!

    Also (this probably will never happen in order to keep the clear distinction between low and hi-end models) they really need to put Infinite Black Pro-like filters (but branded differently) in their lowest-end models because these get turned to slush by even the lowest cost LCD due to faded blacks in daylight…it’s the very people who are buying low-cost TVs that want to use them equaly successfully during both daytime and nightime viewing and choose an LCD over a plasma…when will they learn????…IMHO, they’re probably losing more money to the LCD camp due to this than implementing a proper filter on all models would cost…

  99. @ Csaba, Tomasso, etc

    These are the best calibration settings for the G30 according to the Danish website flatpanels.dk:

    Viewing mode: Professional1
    Contrast 36
    Brightness +1
    Colour: 30
    Sharpness: 0
    Color Remaster: Off
    Eco Off
    P-NR Off
    Gamma 2.2
    Intelligent Frame Creation On/Off
    Resolution Enhancer Off
    16:9 Overscan Off
    R-Gain 0
    G-Gain -7
    B-Gain 6
    R-Cutoff -2
    G-Cutoff -1
    B-Cutoff +2

    You might want to check out their thorough review (in English) here: http://www.flatpanelshd.com/review.php?subaction=showfull&id=1308122639

    Basically, they agree with David that the G30 is a fine HDTV, and hence I plan to get one myself asp (although I’m a bit concerned about the gamma shifting “feature” noticed by Johnny B and others above. Does anyone know whether it’s been addressed by Panasonic in the meantime?)

  100. It’s been a while, but please David Mackenzie, can you share the calibrated settings for p42g30?

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