Panasonic TX-P42V20B Review

It’s time for another analysis of a NeoPDP Plasma display here on HDTVTest, and today, the Panasonic TX-P42V20B is the HDTV going under close examination. The V20 series of plasma HDTVs sit just one rung below Panasonic’s top-end VT20 sets, and feature the latest incarnation of the NeoPDP Plasma panel, performance which gains the tagline of “Infinite Black Pro”, 4 HDMI inputs, and a Satellite tuner (meaning that the UK version carries the “Freesat” branding). Naturally, the Panasonic TX-P42V20B can also receive terrestrial HD broadcasts via its DVB-T2 tuner, making it compatible with the new “Freeview HD” broadcasts in the UK, and similar services in other European countries. Additionally, the plasma TV features Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) vetted video calibration controls and, thanks to the THX Display Certification process, a THX-branded picture mode, which allows users to get near-calibrated picture quality at the touch of a button.

All of this makes the TX-P42V20B the company’s most prestigious 42″ display this year — and frankly, it’s refreshing to see a “smaller” screen like this present in a high-end range, since not all video enthusiasts willing to pay for the highest image quality can necessarily accommodate a 50″ display. So, the real questions are: is it worth the additional cash over the already excellent Panasonic TX-P42G20, and is it comparable to the excellent VT20 models (sans 3D, of course). Let’s find out…

Note: The specific unit we reviewed was the Panasonic TX-P42V20B (the extra character “B” denotes the British 3-pin-plug version). The Panasonic TX-P42V20B may also be sold by high streets stores like Currys, Comet and John Lewis, and online retailers like Amazon and Dixons as Panasonic TX-P42V20, Panasonic TXP42V20, Panasonic TXP42V20B or Panasonic 42V20. All these terms refer to the same plasma TV, and we may use them interchangeably throughout this review. While we did not test the 50-inch Panasonic TX-P50V20B/ TX-P50V20, they should perform similarly given nearly identical specifications.

Design

Panasonic TX-P42V20B

Normally, I expect to be more impressed by the styling of a company’s highest-end display, so imagine my surprise when I unboxed the (comparatively) humble Panasonic TX-P42V20B and was met with the nicest-looking HDTV I’ve seen in a long time! The TX-P42V20 is largely dark grey, with its bezel having a smooth, but not overly glossy finish. When combined with Panasonic’s typical understated styling, this makes for one very, very appealing look. Don’t be put off by promotional photos which make the Panasonic TX-P42V20B look dull and greyish — the finish is in fact more charcoal-like, and is much nicer in person. It is very nice to see a HD TV without the somewhat tacky and overused glossy black finish.

The Panasonic TX-P42V20 comes supplied with a tabletop stand, which is circular and shares the same slick grey design. Once installed on the stand, the TV can swivel left and right by a fairly generous amount.

Build quality is, as usual for Panasonic’s Plasma displays, excellent. Shaking the desk that our display was sitting on revealed absolutely no wobble (assuming the display is securely screwed onto the stand, of course), and overall, the Panasonic TX-P42V20B feels like it’s built to last.

Connections

Unsurprisingly, the Panasonic TX-P42V20 is equipped with connections to suit just about every need. It features a total of 4 HDMI inputs, a single set of Component video inputs for analogue EDTV/HDTV devices (Nintendo Wii, older DVD players, etc.), 2 SCART terminals, and inputs for the terrestrial and satellite tuners. There is also an analogue RGB PC input (“VGA” input), audio outputs, 2 USB slots, a Composite video input, and an SD card slot for viewing digital camera material.

Rear and Side connections on Panasonic TX-P42V20B
Rear: 3 x HDMI, VGA, Component, 2 x SCART, aerial, Freesat, ethernet
Side: SD Card, 2 x USB, Composite video, CI Slot

Operation

After investigating a good chunk of Panasonic’s 2010 TV lineup already, there are no surprises with the TX-P42V20B’s menus. Unlike last year’s models, which were sorely lacking in picture setup controls, Panasonic have provided a very good degree of control over picture quality. All of the basic controls remain present, and there is the usual (relative) lack of video processing gimmicks, which is typical of the company’s flat-screen HDTVs.

As a THX certified display, the Panasonic TX-P42V20 comes with a THX “Viewing Mode” option. This mode attempts to produce accurate video, for typical consumers who just want to see high quality video without spending any extra money on calibration. We’ll investigate just how successful this mode is later in this review. Of course, the Panasonic TX-P42V20B plasma also features two “Professional” memory banks which can be used to store calibrated video settings, although these two modes must be unlocked by enabling the “advance(isfccc)” option in the TV’s Setup menu.

[Picture] menu [White Balance] menu
[Picture] menu [White Balance] menu

The basic [Picture] menu lets you control Contrast, Brightness, Colour and Sharpness, and also has Panasonic’s “C.A.T.S.” control, which uses an ambient light sensor to regulate the TX-P42V20’s light output, as well as “P-NR”, which is a spatial noise reduction control which makes very little difference to the image (not really a problem, since noise reduction controls on TVs have almost no purpose now that we have switched to digital transmission — at least in the UK). There is also a “Picture In Picture” mode, but as is often the case, there are some real-world restrictions which limit its usefulness slightly.

In the [Advanced Settings] menu of the “Professional1” and “Professional2” presets, there is a 2-point [White Balance] control for Greyscale calibration, a [Colour Management] screen, and a basic [Gamma] curve selection. We’ll see how these controls allow the picture quality of the Panasonic TX-P42V20B to be refined in just a moment, but first, let’s see how the [THX] mode performs for users who won’t be calibrating.

Calibration

Note: Our Panasonic TX-P42V20B review sample was calibrated using Calman Professional, the industry-leading video calibration software.

Greyscale

Pre-calibration CCT
Pre-calibration CCT in [THX] mode
Pre-calibration RGB Tracking
Pre-calibration RGB tracking and delta errors (dEs)

The on-screen image in the THX picture mode looked good, but being used to watching entirely accurate displays, we noticed that the on-screen image had a very slight bias to it. The measurements we ran on the Panasonic TX-P42V20 revealed the reason: there is about 5-10% too much blue making up Grey in the picture, which adds a slight tint to the image. Of course, for a preset picture mode, this is not a bad result at all, and will be very serviceable for all but the most discerning viewers.

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

We used our Klein Instruments K-10 meter to adjust the RGB Gain and Cutoff controls in the [Advanced Settings] menu, in order to fine-tune Greyscale performance. The result was excellent, with the biggest inaccuracies being approximately 4% too much red around 50% and 70% stimulus and a slight excess at 10%. None of these translates into any obvious problem on screen, and as a result, the pictures on the Panasonic TX-P42V20B, especially after calibration, were highly realistic.

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

Gamma on the Panasonic TX-P42V20 was less perfect, and like the S20 plasma we reviewed lately, appeared slightly crooked on our charts, especially in the 60-100% region. With previous Panasonic Plasma displays, we’ve found that Gamma tracking can “straighten out” as the TV ages, so we actually ran the display for an extra 60+ hours and remeasured, but in this case, there was no improvement. Of course, it is entirely possible that this aspect of performance will improve with more usage, since the characteristics of Plasma panels often shift quite a bit in early stages of their life. In any case, errors in Gamma performance are usually quite hard to spot without intimate knowledge of the content being viewed, or without a reference display for comparison.

Colour

Although we do not publish pre-calibration Colour performance charts as a rule here at HDTVTest, it’s worth noting that colour in the THX mode is very good straight out of the box on the Panasonic TX-P42V20B. Green was mildly oversaturated, and Cyan and Magenta were both slightly skewed towards blue, but the inaccuracies would prove very difficult for the majority of viewers to notice.

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

In its out-of-the-box state, the Panasonic TX-P42V20’s [Professional1] mode produced slightly less accurate colour than the [THX] mode. Luminance readings were all slightly too high, and the colour of Green in particular was, again, over-saturated. Three clicks of the basic [Colour] control to the left proved to be the optimal position as far as Luminance was concerned, and the basic [Colour Management] menu let us clean the Saturation and Hue of Red, Green and Blue up further. Users shouldn’t be too worried about the lack of Secondary colour management controls, because after Greyscale calibration and Primary colour adjustment, the secondaries all fell mostly into place. Granted, magenta remained slightly skewed towards blue, and yellow contained an essentially unnoticeable error, but on the whole, the colour performance was nearly perfect.

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

Colour decoding on the Panasonic TX-P42V20B was excellent overall, which is fortunate, given that there is no individual control over it. Samsung’s displays continue to be the best performers in this area thanks to their in-depth 3D Colour Management controls, but we seriously doubt anyone is going to notice or be worried about errors this small.

It’s also worth noting that when using the HDMI video inputs on the Panasonic TX-P42V20, the [Digital Cinema Colour] option will be present in the TV’s menus. This alludes to the fact that the NeoPDP panel can produce a widened colour gamut. Panasonic’s promotional material isn’t entirely clear on exactly what gamut this is matching, but in any case, it has little use for consumers who want to watch HD TV material, since this is produced according to the smaller Rec.709 gamut (indicated above). However, Panasonic hint that the feature will be of use in playing back xvYCC-encoded material from some camcorders.

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 0.009 cd/m2
Black level retention Stable
Primary chromaticity Excellent
Scaling Excellent
Video mode deinterlacing Good: 2/3 bars smooth on HQV test
Film mode deinterlacing Failed 3:2/ 2:2 cadences in all resolutions
Viewing angle Excellent (> 150°)
Motion resolution [Intelligent Frame Creation] “On“: 1080; “Off“: 900
Digital noise reduction [P-NR] is a spatial control, very little effect
Sharpness Defeatable edge enhancement
Luma/Chroma bandwidth Full Luma, Chroma slightly blurred
Image retention Virtually none
Posterization Mild, though worse with poor source
Phosphor trails Yes; severity depends on individual susceptibility
1080p/24 capability Accepts 1080p/24 video signal; no telecine judder
Input lag 22ms compared to lag-free CRT
Full 4:4:4 reproduction No, 4:4:4 input subsampled

Power Consumption

Default [Normal] mode 139 watts
Calibrated [Professional1] mode 160 watts
Standby 1 watt

Measurements taken using full 50% grey screen.

Picture Performance

Black Level

Out of the many compelling features present on Panasonic’s Plasma TVs, it is the deep black level that they are capable of producing that probably wins them so many supporters. Viewing the Panasonic TX-P42V20B in a darkened environment let us confirm by eye that the display was producing an incredibly deep shade of black. Later, we did a black level calibration of our Klein K-10 meter and then immediately used it to measure just how deep the TX-P42V20’s blacks were. The result: 0.009 cd/m2, which is exactly the same measurement we received from the top-end VT20 display we reviewed last month.

This deep black level can be enjoyed from any angle, too, since unlike an LCD display, Plasma TVs do not have viewing angle limitations. Additionally, there is of course no unevenness (clouding) visible with all-black material — just solid, consistent, dark black. The only non-uniformity would occur from image retention, which is very uncommon on Panasonic’s Plasma TVs. Particularly obnoxious on-screen TV channel logos may leave a shadow of themselves afterwards if they’ve been present for long enough, but will soon fade.

We also checked the Panasonic TX-P42V20 for any sign of the “floating blacks” that some Panasonic Plasmas exhibit. This is where the image brightness will appear to rise very, very slightly during some scenes, and is most apparent during movies with black letterbox bars above and below the picture. During our tests, the Panasonic TX-P42V20B’s black level remained stable at all times, indicating that it appears to be free from this mild annoyance.

Unfortunately, it transpired that the 2009 model Panasonic displays did not produce such a deep shade of black for very long, with this aspect of their picture quality deteriorating slightly after a few hundred hours of usage. Fortunately, better things have been promised for the 2010 models, and at this time, there is no coherent data suggesting that the same fate will fall on these displays. As with the VT20, Panasonic have used the term “Infinite Black Pro” to market the TX-P42V20, meaning that retailers couldn’t possibly expect customers to tolerate a black level quality decrease, should problems arise later.

Motion Resolution

Using the FPD Benchmark test disc, we gauged the Panasonic TX-P42V20B as being able to cleanly reproduce around 900 lines of motion, which is a very high amount. Even beyond this, details were not completely smudged, but the tiniest details were slightly less discernible. We also noted that, as usual for Panasonic Plasma displays, there were subtle blue an yellow-green trails (only around one pixel or so wide) that followed the high contrast parts of the scrolling chart. These are phosphor trails, which will be visible to more sensitive users when watching content that is both high in motion and low in saturation.

Enabling [Intelligent Frame Creation] did wring out a few extra lines of motion resolution on the chart, but when we compared some World Cup football games (on BBC and ITV‘s HD and SD channels) on the Panasonic TX-P42V20, there was really very little difference between the two modes in practice, meaning that even with the I.F.C. option off, motion is very clear, with very little blurring or other artefacts. Turning it on did no harm to video material, but would introduce visible motion interpolation artefacts with slower film (or film-like) content, so as usual, we disabled the I.F.C. system.

With fast-paced video material (such as the aforementioned football events), there was a small amount of posterization during fast movement, meaning that skin tones would appear to become separate “ridged” areas of colour during camera pans. This is typical of Panasonic’s plasma displays, and in this writer’s opinion, is at least less irritating than LCD motion blur.

Standard Definition

Viewing SD material on the Panasonic TX-P42V20B gave us a sense of deja vu: performance here is basically the same as the rest of Panasonic’s 2010 lineup. So, the quick summary is: the picture will look as crisp as the source allows, will almost never look jagged, but very detailed SD film content may show small flickering in areas of very fine detail. All in all, SD content looks good on the Panasonic TX-P42V20 plasma television.

If you’d prefer to read a more in-depth version of the above: diagonal interpolation is on the better end of the scale, meaning that the Panasonic TX-P42V20B does a good job with suppressing jaggies during the video deinterlacing process. With the HQV Benchmark test DVD’s “three rotating bars” test pattern, all three bars looked smooth for the most part, but would look slightly jagged for a few frames after they reversed direction. This does not translate into any significant real-world performance deficiency. Also, all of the film cadence tests on the disc (2-2 PAL, 2-2 NTSC, 3-2 NTSC, etc.) failed, so anyone watching film material is advised to do so using a high quality Progressive Scan/”Upscaling” DVD player. However, as we always note, most SD content on DVD and broadcast TV is too blurry to reveal deinterlacing limitations, so this is not as big a problem as it might have been.

High Definition

HD material looked wonderful on the Panasonic TX-P42V20. I ran a stack of the better-looking Blu-ray Disc movies (of which there are many!) on the HDTV and was extremely pleased at how it was reproducing them. After all, the Panasonic TX-P42V20B reproduces every last drop of Luminance detail from high-def images, and most of the Chroma (coloured) detail, resulting in video that’s ultra-detailed and faithful to the content (source permitting, of course).

As usual for Panasonic PDPs, 24p material played back at a multiple of the input frame rate, resulting in judder-free video. And, of course, we also have the plasma panel’s high contrast, high motion resolution, and accurate Greyscale and Colour reproduction to add to the mix. All of this translates into one of the best High Definition experiences out of any HDTV currently on sale. We checked out Optimum Releasing’s excellent UK Blu-ray Disc of “The Hurt Locker”, which features an excellent AVC/MPEG-4 encode of some ultra-crisp, filmic source material, and were delighted with the image quality in both the [THX] and our calibrated [Professional1] picture modes on the Panasonic TX-P42V20.

Console Gaming

As usual, gaming on the Panasonic Plasma displays continues to be a total joy, with the TX-P42V20B only delaying image drawing by about 22ms. After living for the last month or so with another display (which is reasonably fast by LCD standards), playing first-person shooters on the Panasonic TX-P42V20B was a very different experience indeed. Aiming is much easier on a fast display such as this, and additionally, even games running at only 30 frames per second (which unfortunately means most HD titles on the Xbox 360 and PS3) felt considerably more fluid and enjoyable.

I also tried out SEGA’s incredibly fluid Bayonetta, which runs at a near-constant 60 frames per second on the Xbox 360. Pulling off intricate combo moves was much easier on this display due to the almost non-existent input lag, which took the game beyond the button-mashing experience that it becomes on a slower TV. And, thanks to the Panasonic TX-P42V20’s high motion resolution, the incredibly smooth action remained crisp, without visible motion blur.

As with the rest of the Panasonic range, phosphor trails were not noticeable, unless the game you were playing was highly desaturated (Resident Evil 5 is still my favourite test for detecting them). The only Panasonic display which deviates from this trend is the VT20, which has new, 3D-friendly phosphor material which improves (but does not remove) this phenomenon, which has proven mildly annoying for some users. In any case, phosphor trails are much less annoying than the LCD combination of input lag and motion blur.

Conclusion

The Panasonic TX-P42V20B is a fairly easy recommendation. Despite featuring slightly inaccurate Gamma tracking (in our review sample), the images it put out were absolutely excellent. It stands alongside the Panasonic VT20 3D TV in producing the deepest blacks out of any flat-screen television on sale today, and also features excellent Greyscale tracking, highly accurate colour, crisp motion, and just about no input lag. That series of accomplishments mean that the Panasonic TX-P42V20B will almost never fail to produce an incredibly satisfying experience, whether you’re watching HD movies, SD TV, or playing video games on it.

The only question left is whether or not the TX-P42V20 is worth the extra money over Panasonic’s already-excellent TX-P42G20, which arguably represents the sweet spot in terms of price and performance in the company’s 2010 Plasma lineup. If you watch TV primarily in a light-filled environment, then the answer is yes, because the TX-P42V20’s ambient light filter helps prevent the picture becoming washed out when faced with stray light. Dark-room performance is improved over the G20 too, measuring at just under 0.01 cd/m2 compared to the G20’s 0.02 cd/m2, although this improvement, whilst remarkable, is less noticeable.

Although many people will wince at the idea of paying a four-figure sum for a “small” 42-inch display, we think it’s refreshing to see that Panasonic is still producing premium displays at this screen size. Regardless of cost, the Panasonic TX-P42V20B is one of the best HDTVs on sale today, and indeed, one of the best Panasonic has ever produced.

Highly Recommended

114 comments

  1. Nice review Team. I have been waiting to hear about this as I want to wait for 3D to settle before I dive in there.
    Looks like this is the baby …for now.. to get into.
    Now here is the challenge I have and maybe some others!!!!

    I got into flat screen over 6 years a go with a TX-26 LXD1 as the SD performance was very good at the time when moving from a CRT. She has been a fantastic TV but is only 720P via RGB less with SCART from Sky Box (No HDMI) so it’s time to move on and go larger.
    “You know they say things look smaller as you get older..well 26inches sure looks small now..even though the wife says size doesn’t matter!!!!”

    Back to the point. I sit between 7 and 8ft away from screen so TV size is an issue.
    Doing my “Piece of Cardboard the size of the TV” trick the V20 fits nicely into the room.
    However
    I see this set for around £1100 but I could get the TX-P46Z1 for £500 more.(50% off)
    (46 inches plus speakers on side with this model is bearable but if I remove speaker and use an external sound system then it is almost the same size.)

    So the question ???( As you reviews rate each very high)
    Excluding USB capability, based on technology and picture quality of the time manaufactured, which one would you feel offers a 5 year investment??

    Marshyman’s quote: Choice is a freedom we all have but advice on making that choice is the key!!!!

    Viewing characteristics of the house!
    (60% SD (Wifes Soap Opera’s on 5) 30% HD from Sky/BBC, 10% Gaming on PS3))

    Thanks Team for a great service to the HDTV world.

    MM

  2. It’s worth noting that the G10 had the “Infinite Black” (not PRO) specification – still very misleading given what people have experienced with their sets less than 12 months on.

  3. An excellent review, thanks David! I’ve a deposit down on one, awaiting your review, so will head to this shop today and pay the rest!

  4. Bought this 2 weeks ago in South Africa for HD WC matches :)
    Wonderful TV, we have the P version here – so no THX mode, just True Cinema preset, and no wireless dongle.
    Blu-ray playback is outstanding, HD broadcasts great SD some mild posterizetion on fast movements, but totally livable.

    Concur with the review David, a must audition for anyone looking at a great all-round TV for 2010.

    would you agree with the assessment of changing Gamma to 2.4 for darkened room viewing, 2.2 for day-time viewing? Thoughts?

  5. How does the V20 compare against the VT20 for 2D? Is the VT20 worth the extra for possibly better 2D performance?
    The gamma error you detected : how critical is that?

    You say the V20 has no floating blacks, on AVFORUMS, Phil Hinton cited that as a minor issue that was present. Many members of that forum are screaming blue murder about this problem, affecting G20 and V20, and now some instances on the VT20.
    Will the average user detect this in a darkened room?

  6. Will someone perform long-term black level testing?

  7. David Mackenzie

    The Z1 is about wireless and ultraslim design more than anything else. It wasn’t a bad display by any means, but the V20 is better overall.

    @Ree: yes, hitting 2.4 in a dark room is an idea that has a lot of supporters.

    @Darren: the Gamma inaccuracy didn’t affect my enjoyment of what was on screen. Technically yes, it’s an inaccuracy, but it’s a pretty hard-to-spot one.
    I specifically tried to find floating blacks on this TV but couldn’t. Is it possible it only affects the larger ones? I notice that AVForums reviewed the 50″ version.
    The 50″ S20 I reviewed had the issue, and it would be noticeable, but probably tolerable, to readers of this site :)

  8. Georgi Georgiev

    Excellent review, David ! I already own this one, so a bit late for my choice, but then … you confirm I made a good one :-D.
    We all know the drill – it doesn’t mean they will work for us but as usual – can you publish some calibrated settings ?

  9. Thanks David ! That’s a great review, as usual.

    I’m still confused about the way you measure input lag. You used a CRT as reference for both the S20 and the V20, but you used your resident F96 for the G20, so allow me to ask a few questions :

    What’s the input lag on a Samsung F96 ? I heard it was about 10-16 ms. Does that means the G20 is the slowest screen of the pack ?

    And, based on your own experience, at which point does input lag becomes noticeable and uncomfortable for most people ?

    Thanks alot.

  10. thanks david, I have eyeballed both VT20 and V20 in a local showroom, and against some nice Z1s.
    I thought there was a slight difference between V20 and VT20 but again sample variation could account for that, I’ve no idea if double-scan on the VT20 lifts 2D performance?
    The improvements over the Z1 were quite stark, not that its poor by any means.

    I’m sorely tempted by the v20, wish there was a 46″ but that looks only to be available for the VT20 (if it hits the UK in that size!!).

  11. Thanks for confirming my decision (which was based on your general feedback on past Panasonic plasmas) to buy this TV. The pricture does look great at times, but I find it a little too dark and when I adjust it seems to become too pale or with too much contrast. I am beginning to wonder if is faulty. The CATS setting really confuses matters, as this imprves the picture but I cant replicate the effect acurately when switched off by adjusting the brightness and contrast alone.

  12. Review the Panasonic entry level plasmas pls !!!
    WE ALL DONT HAVE 1.000+ bucks !

  13. Thanks for the good review…..as usual can you publish your settings please…..pretty please!!
    Paultje.

  14. Hello David,

    I am going to buy either the V20 or the VT20 very soon.

    Why did this tv get a “highly recommended” while the VT20 got “reference level”???

    Is it just the 3D that makes the VT20 better or are there noticable 2D differences?

    Your comments would be greatly appreciated!!

    Ralph

  15. Thanks, All

    Just got the V20 set and awesome on HD.
    Any advice for a newbie to HD regarding setup of this screen for SD Sky channels

    Looks out of focus/not as crisp as my 26inch though a lot bigger, at 7ft viewing or should this be as expected with such a large screen.

    Cheers again
    MM

  16. David Mackenzie

    @Blaze: I didn’t do the review of the G20 here, so sadly can’t comment. We’re working on unifying the measurements to make them totally comparable across reviews.

    Some people claim to not notice input lag of 120ms or higher, whereas I find this totally unplayable (if you look through other reviews, I’ve been taken to task over it in the comments!). I can detect 30ms of lag, that’s probably the most I could tolerate if buying a TV. For a computer monitor, I can’t tolerate any more than about 18ms because of how much it slows down actions like mouse movement.

    @Ertoil: will see what we can do. I’d love to see some of their cheaper models too.

    @Ralph: the VT20 has slightly cleaner motion with fast-moving content, because of the new short-persistence phosphors. Our VT20 review sample also had more accurate and linear Gamma tracking. This is the reason for the VT20 not getting “Reference Status”.

    Settings to come.

  17. Great review David!I know you normally dont give the picture setting you made,but can you give us this time around?Im looking at the images you post regarding profissional mode 1,picture menu and white balance menu,are does setting the ones you use?(Contrast on maximum ?).Thanks!

  18. Picture and white balance are equal on THX,Cinema and profissional modes but im getting ( wend changing modes ) a slight brighter image on THX!Does this happen on your review unit?The panel luminous ramps up a bit on THX wend compared to the profissional modes,but the setting out of the box are the same!?Thanks

  19. Some reviewers have gotten a rather low light output fr0m V20/VT20. What was the calibrated white level on V20? (And VT20?)

  20. For all us Brits with SKY HD how does the V20 fare with 1080i film material. You say it won’t be noticable for SD because the picture is too soft anyway but I am assuming it will be a problem for HD. As the bulk of HD material I watch is on Sky Movies is this the TV for me or do I need to wait for next year when Panasonic might implement all the KURO tech they have like proper film deinterlacing!

    P.S. The Planet Earth Blu-Ray is 1080i. I’m not sure if it is film material or video but it might be a good extra test.

  21. Hello,

    What do you guys think is the better buy? A 50″ G20 or a 42″ V20?
    They cost almost the same here.

    And thanks David for the great detailed review.

  22. David Mackenzie

    @Mike37 and Tilt:
    yes, the light output is a little on the lower side, although I didn’t find this to be a problem.
    The THX mode’s default light output is basically the same as the Professional modes with the Contrast turned up full.

    @James:
    there’s no film cadence detection at all, so that also counts for HD material.
    But, with HD material, the jaggies resulting from video deinterlacing of film content are very small and hard to spot. The only time most users would notice a lack of 1080i film mode detection would be during footage of someone wearing a highly detailed striped shirt, etc.

    I never got the chance to test one of the Pioneer TVs deinterlacing 1080i/50hz – did it do that properly?

    @Antiglobe: refer to the conclusion. It depends on the ambient light in the room.

  23. This is a good review, the only thing that lacks is the white level, so we can do the math of contrast.

    But there are many waiting for the review of Samsung LE40C750 or 46 model.

    Because is an affordable LCD display with 3D technology, and if the black level and colour performance are better or equal to C650 we have a solid winner. I’m also curious with motion resolution.

    thank you.

  24. David Mackenzie

    @Illusion4u: the calibrated white level (that’s Professional1 with contrast up full) was (from memory) about 100 cd/m2.

    Also, the Samsung LE40C750 is in line waiting for review.

  25. So the images display in this review are the calibrated setting you made using Professional 1- for picture and white balance?

  26. David Mackenzie

    Mike: yes, but there’s no point in you copying them for a PDP. The THX mode is designed to get average Greyscale/Colour performance out of the box.

  27. What about the gamma settings?Did you keep it at 2.2?Did your review unit have the contrast set to maximum like the picture state or thats the calibrated setting you made?Thanks!

  28. Im copy this settings for my V20 not another PDP!And i know every can unit be different out of the box!Just give us the full setting if you can!?Nice work and thanks!

  29. David Mackenzie

    I should clarify about the contrast: setting it up full would occasionally clip some whites, so I had it set NEARLY (but not totally) full.

  30. What about the superresolution setting? It was standardly set to medium on my V20, and I deactived it. Should I turn this back on again?
    And while watching an HD World Cup match in HD broadcast (dvb-c /1080i) the vertical white lines drawn on the field seem to slightly ‘duplicate’ (double lines image) when the camera is moving from the right to the left and vice versa. Is this an effect that can be described to the motion blur phenomena? Or do I need to change my settings (I.F.C. is already turned off btw)? Great Review by the way and thanks!

  31. Georgi Georgiev

    Yep, Courageous poses a reasonable question about the super resolution setting. Can we get it explained ? And again – can we get the calibrated settings … pretty please :-) !

  32. Gaurav Sawhney

    Need advise :- In indiathis TV is available as V20D ie without Infinite Pro. It this better than the 6 Series LED Samsung and more future proof ?

  33. Thanks for great review again…Are you going to review any Samsung plasma, maybe bigger ones 58″ like ps58c6505 or c7000

  34. David

    Sorry about the long post ! I’m looking for your expert opinion on something worrying me.

    I’m new to plasma! and transported my new P50V20B from a Panasonic Store to home (about 25 miles) in the horizontal position. Store staff loaded my SUV and stated it is OK to transport horizontal. When I got home and looked at the instructions on the box I realised it should have been transported vertically.

    In a panic I searched internet forums for 2 hours looking for the reasons why you should not transport horizontally. The only consistent credible reason I found is “If you transport a plasma horizontally the panel’s glass may shatter.” Interestingly the Panasonic user guide states that “internal circuitry may get damaged”.

    My question is this:

    My set is not shattered and there are no obvious problems after a few hours viewing. So is all OK long term … or … within reason could this transport have caused subtle issues not obvious to the untrained eye (I am not a videophile) or caused issues that may occur later?

    Are you aware of anyone who had a problem other than a shattered panel???

    Your help will be greatly appreciated!!

  35. David Mackenzie

    @Courageous:
    Super Resoluton is also known as “Resolution Enhancer” on the UK version. It doesn’t really make much difference and I leave it off.

    People have mentioned the double-lines effect with the VT20 and it’d make sense that this would do it, too. Enabling IFC may slightly help with that – try it and tell us?

    @Gaurav: I’m not sure if the Indian spec is the same as this one, but it likely is – it’s probably just that Panasonic haven’t introduced that branding over there. Yes, it is much better than any LCD or LED LCD TV.

    @Tuomo: I’ll try. The Samsung PDPs have the capability to be VERY nice displays.

    @Ralph: the store staff ideally wouldn’t have done that. If you don’t see any damage now, then all should be fine. Just check for any small cracks in the screen.

  36. Hi,
    I have a Q regarding SD quality of picture. I watch SD channels in 99% of time.
    I bought V20 thinking I will have better picture than on Panasonic HD Ready TH-37PX80. Image is much worse than on PX in SD. Is that because of more pixels in HD panel that have to filled with interpolation? Also white objects have more washed look (no shadow details) … :( Watching HD source Canon 5DMkII images and HD video via HDMI picture is superb (fantastic). Now I’m not satisfied with TV as I watch mostly SD and picture looks like on LCD not like on my former plasma. Do I have to set parameters better? Suggestion … Do you have same problems?

  37. David Mackenzie

    @Matjaz: no. It’s a common misconception that a Full HD panel will look worse with SD sources than an “HD Ready” one, but frankly, a little bit of extra scaling is the least of your worries when it comes to SD!

    First of all, what picture settings are you using?

  38. Thanks David, I’ve tried all combination of setting but I see would be better to have HD ready only for bad SD signal via cable … I’ll wait to see what happens on IPTV.

  39. David Mackenzie

    Are you using analogue cable or is this digital?
    Make sure you’re using the THX or Professional picture modes – the other ones are inaccurate and amplify uglies in the source.

  40. For now I have analogue cable signal. I’ll try. But still BMHO SD analogue picture is bad.

  41. David Mackenzie

    I didn’t test analogue cable signals with the V20 – in fact, there aren’t any in this country – sorry I can’t suggest anything!

  42. Hello there:

    I doubt this question can be answered since the set has perhaps been given back now, but does anyone know how much (in centimeters) the actual screen of this TV sits back from the front tip/lip of its stand? I am just in the process of measuring up optimally my room and it seems there is only one foot in it between choosing a 42 inch or 50 inch when viewing 1080P HD content. Thus the need to be very precise.

    I looked on the Panasonic website and found a depth measurement of 85 mm without the stand and 335 mm with the stand. For a back of the envelope calculation I guess I could just divide 335 mm by 2 and assume that is the point where the ‘middle’ of the screen sits and just add on 42.5 mm from that point forward since that = half the depth of the screen. I guess that is a crude way to do it.

    I hope someone can help further. Thank You.

  43. Great review? What about the sound quality? Did you listen to it, even? Is it good, bad or indifferent?

  44. For WAZWII…..the front lip of the stand is 13.5 cm from the front of the screen, and the back is 9 cm behind the back of the screen.
    Any settings yet? Mine has settled down nicely and, so far, showing no problems….here’s hoping………

    Paultje

  45. For John…..the sound is distinctly average. After listening to a Loewe CRT for 9 years, it is a bit ‘thin’. No worse than many other flat screens tho’ and probably better than some……..

  46. I have an LDZ800 that has caused so many problems with motion (I get this weird kind of shimmering around moving objects on 24fps), and after 6 months of to-ing and fro-ing the dealer has finally conceded there is a fault. I now am looking for a replacement that is excellent with Bluray….is this the best (for the money) currently that would be a good replacement?. I will audition in the next few weeks with some discs to make sure this time!

  47. ?ralph on 3 July 2010 12:11 pm

    The danger of transporting horizontal is the weight of the glass and the possibility of the set being danmaged if you go over a bump or something.

    The sets are designed for the frame to hold the glass vertically only.

    If you transported it and the set looks and works ok then you didn’t give it any significant jolts to cause a problem and so have nothing to worry about.

  48. For Paul J

    WazWii here. Thanks for that!

  49. Just to add, does anyone know how to edit comments on here?

  50. Georgi Georgiev

    David, the settings … you promised :-)

  51. @ David

    Could you recheck the V20 and VT20 Black Level with a ABL Test Pattern?

    According to the following Review, there is some auto-dimming near 0 IRE.

    Review: http://www.televisioninfo.com/content/Panasonic-TC-P50VT20-3D-Plasma-HDTV-Review-1615/Blacks-amp;-Whites.htm#

  52. Hi David,

    Did you or anyone else notice some colour banding with the V20 during motion? What I mean is that instead of seeing a fluid smooth colour gradient (on for example a cheek of a face), you’ll notice that the colour gradient is somehow ‘banded’ or appears in so-called leaps or steps. I noticed this when watching ‘The Mentalist’ in HD (dvb-c 1080i) broadcast. It seems to be more noticeable when the picture is in motion (panning) and less so when the picture is static. It almost seems like the picture processing unit/chip is having a hard time keeping up when the picture is in motion. Do you have any clues?

  53. Question for David: ( please ) ( maybe a stupid question )

    i have calibrated my panel for movies on pro1 mode.

    now…i like to play using ps3…but doing this i like to keep Colour temp on MEDIUM Level ( neutral ) and not a warm one….so….

    if i leave white balance as before ( for other colour temp ) is this acceptable according to you?

    maybe is better to re-calibrate all on other Professional mode?
    Without professional instruments, how you would calibrate panel for gaming?

    the problem is that in most tv using a color temp. correct for films makes too dark/red/yellow for playing!!!
    but modifying colour temp means usaully modify the whole gamma, the W.balance and evem cms…..

    thank you !!!!!

    Gianni

  54. Hey David,

    Thanks for a fantastic review once again! Enjoy reading your reviews/tips/tricks etc. Was just wondering if you’ll post your calibrated settings (thx vs. professional?) in the future?

    Reading your post of 25 June, I thought you were planning to post these? Many thanks! Keep up the good work!

  55. Hi David,

    Could you (or anyone) help me make a choice between 2 TV’s?
    The P42S20 goes for 630 euros in the Netherlands and the (older i know) P42G15 is 799 euros. What TV would you prefer and why?
    There is also the G20 but with 1050 thats slightly out of my price range.

    Thanks!

  56. David Mackenzie

    @Georgi and Ruud (thanks!), here are settings:

    Select Professional1.
    Set contrast at about 5-6 clicks down from Maximum.
    Set Sharpness at 0.
    Set Colour at 3 clicks left from the default.

    There is no point in copying the Greyscale tracking settings.
    These are the ones (from top to bottom) that our review TV used: +2 -1 -5, -7, -2, -1.

    I don’t have the CMS settings, sorry!

    Also be sure to set 16:9 Overscan to OFF and Intelligent Frame Creation/24p Smooth Film to OFF.

    @Warrior668: we don’t have the review sample anymore, sorry. TelevisionInfo.com will have reviewed the US version so it’s not quite a direct comparison. I would check it if I still had the TV here though!

    @Courageous: yes, all the Panasonic PDPs have a bit of posterisation during movement. It’s not any sort of video processing artefact, but a side-effect associated with how the panel is driven.

    @Gianni: there’s no such thing as a stupid question at HDTVtest :D
    For gaming, I personally use D65 white point (“Warm”), the same as for movies. However, it’s not clear to what extent the games industry adheres to these standards.

    If you’re going to use the “Neutral” setting, it doesn’t really matter what numbers (if any) you enter in the White Balance menu, because you’re not trying to adhere to any standard.

    @Chris: it’s been a while since I reviewed a G15. I seem to remember that even without a Colour Management menu, its accuracy was pretty good. I would probably go for the G15 with it being a slightly higher-up model.

  57. @David

    Thank you so much for the reply

    … a LAST and personal question for you ….don’t you think that games like CoD or Uncharted seem to be too dark using your temperature ?
    i tried out ….but it seems to be always in ” SUNSET ” time….even when the sky should be blue, even at 3:00 PM in a summer day …maybe because games don’t follow any standard….do you like this effect ?

    regards and congratulation for beeing the best reviewer out there.

  58. Hey David,

    Just bought the V20 plasma (42 inch) a couple of days ago. Thanks for sharing your settings with us. However,if I understand correctly, you shouldn’t turn up the contrast too high, at least for the first 100-200 hours anyway??? Or is that not a big problem anymore these days with the “modern” plasma tv??

    Furthermore, I noticed quite some flickering when viewing bright images no matter if it was a HD or SD picture. Turned on the 24P smooth film on and most of it was gone, albeit some additional distortions were seen now…. any similar experiences with your set? Could it be the short run-in time? The tv is in THX mode with the standard settings for now (meaning fairly low contrast).

    thanks for sharing your settings. Hopefully you can help me with the above. Thx

  59. @Chris

    please check http://www.discountonline.be. There you can find the P42g20 for €870 (they deliver to the netherlands)

    I bought a P42v20 two weeks ago, and must say that the image is the best i have ever seen on a flat screen. No ‘blocks’ in the image, fluent motion, excellent contrast and colours !
    I did some research the last 2 years, but never found a flatscreen that delivered the (motion!)quality of a good CRT…except now the with the Panasonic p42v20 ;-)

  60. David Mackenzie

    @Gianni: I don’t have CoD or Uncharted here right now I’m afraid. If you’ve been playing them exclusively at 9000k or higher than they will look different at first, that’s for sure. What about asking the developers? It’d be interesting to see what their take on this is.

    Thanks!

    @Ruud:
    The advice about not turning Contrast up too high, as far as I know, basically means “don’t push luminance output too high”. Because luminance output on this TV in Professional mode doesn’t go very high anyway, you shouldn’t have to worry.

    In any case, when we review Plasmas at HDTVTest, the units we get have often been used by other review sites in the “Dynamic” mode with the contrast turned up full, and after this we calibrate them but don’t really follow any other “break in” advice – we just use them normally. And even when they come to us with the previous “Dynamic” settings, there is no permanent burn in. I don’t think Plasma TVs need anything like as much care as some people think.

    From memory, 24p Smooth Film causes the panel to refresh at a higher rate, so it would make sense that the flicker disappears with this turned on. The flicker may disappear (and/or you might get used to it) as the TV gets older, yes.

  61. Meaningless post, but just wanted to thank you for your help David. Nice that you take the time to do so!!

  62. Do you reakon by next year that pannys will surpass kuros for blacks?

  63. Richard Dunford

    Hi everyone, I need a little advice. I’m on my second V20 the first made a high pitched buzz constantly which got louder the brighter the picture became, it even buzzed when the screen was black.

    I now have a new one. And it buzzes. Not as loud though, I can here the fans now over the buzz. But again like the previous unit it gets louder the brighter the screen becomes.

    It quite distracting as it is at quite a high pitch, the hum of the fans is quite ignorable.

    So my question is does anyone else have this problem, is it normal for plasmas to buzz? The one in the store didn’t appear too, but it wasn’t quite as quiet as at home.

  64. I’m looking for a new TV and this one sounds to be an excellent choice. However, I never had a plasma TV before so I wonder, is this true that there is still possibility of burn when a static image is displayed for a long time? Think about static elements in games (e.g. status bars) during long gaming sessions.

  65. David,
    thanks for the great review…

    I am libro… that means I spend month reading reviews and forums before I found what I was looking for… V20… With great feeling of releif went to the store to look at the picture…. Brightness… Such a big disapointment … everything seems too dark… and looks like there is no room to increase brightness since we start loosing blacks immidiately… I don’t mind loosing blacks (to some acceptable extent) but it happens too quick…. David, don’t you think the picture is sort of too dark? Where I can find an info regarding light output (number?)
    Thank you!

  66. @Dan: that’s a pretty tall order. I wouldn’t expect it next year, but maybe in the future… who knows.

    @Richard Dunford: most PDPs buzz to some extent, especially if they’re showing a screen full of white. Is it that excessive?

    @AlefSin: I’ve never seen a modern Plasma TV permanently damaged by burn-in if it’s used with sensible (not “Dynamic mode”) picture settings. Temporary retention yes, but not permanent burn. You should be fine; just take breaks when the TV is brand new and use a little bit of caution.

    @Patrice: the V20’s maximum light output was about 100 cd/m2, which is quite low. Generally, we calibrate TVs to 120 cd/m2 at HDTVtest, which is much lower than the typical out of the box settings. In a store, the V20 will probably look much too dark because of the bright lighting. In your own home, it might be acceptable.

  67. Hi David, Thanks for the reply.

    I wouldn’t call it excessive and I’m starting to live with it.

    I sit about 6-7 ft away and can hear the fans over the buzzing for the vast majority of the time, there is no buzzing on black screens just as the intensity of the brightness of the screen increases.

    I think it is probably me, I can here those mosquito buzzers.

  68. Hi David,

    Thanks for a great review, it helped me decide among the choices I had.
    I received my 42V20D (India) few days back. I wanted to check the number of hours it has been used for. How can it be checked? I have read in some of the forums and they describe following steps.

    1- Hold down V- on TV whilst Pressing 0 on Remote x 3
    2- Press 2 to get to SRV-TOOL
    3- Press OK to Enter
    4- Navigate to Bottom Right Hand Cell with Directional Buttons
    5- Hold Down Mute for a Few Seconds

    I am not able to get through the first step only. I tried pressing V- (on TV) and 0 on the remote but nothing happens. What is “x 3” mentioned in the first step? Please help. Thanks in advance.

  69. Hi there, just bought this set at the weekend and so far so good. One thing I noticed while going through the screens is that I initially had an entry under “other settings” for 24p “on/off”. I connected my Panasonic bluray player and set that up to output 24p if the material being played was in 24p. I did firmware updates on both pieces and then noticed that the 24p on/off was now missing from the setup menu on the TV!! where did it go, was it the firmware upgrade?

    And.. what should I set the 24p mode to on the player and the TV? (blu ray DMP-BD85EB-K )

    Thanks.

    David

  70. HI

    thanks for the great review!

    I might go and buy it tonight, but I need to know if I should lower the sharpness to 0 when gaming (in Game mode) or just leave it at default?

  71. if its xbox leave it on 2

  72. Hello,
    I only found your site recently but congratulations on the best reviews and feedback I’ve seen to date.
    I’m torn between the Sony KDL52EX703 and the Panasonic TXP50V20B.
    Gaming is very important and I watch a lot of letterbox films.
    Although the Panasonic doesn’t do full 4:4:4 and the Sony does, I’m leaning towards the Panasonic although I’m paranoid about the image retention/burn in thing (I’ve never used plasma before – I currently have a Sony LCD).
    How concerned should I be as I don’t want to miss out on what looks like a better TV because of my concerns although video games will show the same image for long times (HUD on FPS games) and the black bars on DVD playback will be there for hours while watching films.
    Any advice will be appreciated.
    Regards,
    Dave

  73. Hi David.

    First timer here, and what a find :-)

    I’m a keen gamer and input lag, or the lack of it, is very important to me. I’m still gaming on a good old JVC CRT. But want to join the 21st century and move over to a Flat Screen.

    I see from your review, quoted below, that gaming on the TX-P42V20B appears to be a better experience on the 60 frame a second SEGA’s Bayonetta. Compared to the standard (around) 30 frames per second games. Are most Xbox & PS games running at 30 frames per second?

    And am I right to read the TV’s input lag of 22ms, is not a limitation of the TV, but of it reading 30 frames per second games? I say this, because of the fact you mention a 60 frame a second game has virtually zero input lag.

    Any comments of what causes input lag in relation to Flat Screens and Game Developers / Consoles, when gaming would be a very valuable lesson when understanding the subject at large.

    Many Thanks David.

    Your quote…”As usual, gaming on the Panasonic Plasma displays continues to be a total joy, with the TX-P42V20B only delaying image drawing by about 22ms. After living for the last month or so with another display (which is reasonably fast by LCD standards), playing first-person shooters on the Panasonic TX-P42V20B was a very different experience indeed. Aiming is much easier on a fast display such as this, and additionally, even games running at only 30 frames per second (which unfortunately means most HD titles on the Xbox 360 and PS3) felt considerably more fluid and enjoyable.

    I also tried out SEGA’s incredibly fluid Bayonetta, which runs at a near-constant 60 frames per second on the Xbox 360. Pulling off intricate combo moves was much easier on this display due to the almost non-existent input lag, which took the game beyond the button-mashing experience that it becomes on a slower TV. And, thanks to the Panasonic TX-P42V20’s high motion resolution, the incredibly smooth action remained crisp, without visible motion blur.”

  74. Hi David,

    About black levels; In a darkened environment and an all-black screen, it’s rather a dark gray than black, the TV produces enough light for me to see what I am doing on my remote control. Moving brightness/contrast sliders to the left doesn’t help. How do I know that the TV is producing blacks as it should? I don’t have measurement tools. It’s just over 2 weeks old, and it has less than 100 viewing hours.

    Regards,

    Riemer

  75. frederick tucker

    I have read many reviews of both LCD and plasmas over the past few weeks. Although the Panasonic G20 and V20 get glowing write-ups, the real-life accounts of owners of these sets tell another story. If I’m going to spend £1000 on a new TV I would not tolerate any level of buzzing, flickering, noisy fans and dim picture in a light room. I have read enough of these negative reports from owners to stear clear of any Panasonic plasma tvs. I will be buying a Sony LCD.
    You Plasma lovers have got your heads in the sand.
    Frederick Tucker

  76. @pradeep: x3 refers to pressing 0 3 times.

    To get to service mode (on Euro and US models), hold the DOWN ARROW button on the side of the TV and keep tapping 0 on the remote control. When “Start Adjustment Menu” appears on screen, press the Red button on the remote. Then follow the steps.
    *Do not touch anything else in the service menu*

    @nbnt: I used 0, but 2 wuldn’t hurt either.

    @Dave: thank you! Image retention is a real issue, but it’s one that new Plasma owners spend a lot of time worrying about. If it happens, it’s usually within the first 200 hours (From my experience) and can be cleared. If you are a serious hardcore gamer, you might be better with the Sony (provided it has low input lag). I own a Panasonic G20 Plasma myself and managed to get retention of the Halo Reach HUD on it, but it went away when I started rationing the game time. Now that I’m past 200 hours, I don’t let the TV dictate what I watch on it, and I haven’t had any other issues.

    @James: we measure input lag with a 60fps signal (1080p @ 60hz). It doesn’t matter if the game is running at 30fps (like most) or 60fps – although 60fps games will by nature feel more responsive.

    @Riemer: how we perceive black is really difficult to predict. If you’re in an all black room and have been for a long time, even the best TV in existence will look somewhat grey. I’d imagine the TV is fine.

    @Frederick Tucker: no TV is acceptable for all conditions, but part of it is down to the individual and the environment. Although I haven’t noticed any noisy fans and I don’t consider the buzzing to be a big issue, I can understand that they might be. Likewise, I personally have a hard time accepting the viewing angle limitations displayed by all LCD sets, which PDP is free of.

  77. hi david, i would like some help please! i am looking to replace my outdated crt tv & am confused with the vast choice available now! i have been looking at the v20 plasma, v20 led & d25 led & dont know which to chose from. the reviews for v20 plasma are all good (better than the reviews of the other models) but i am put being put off buying a plasma because of:-
    a)buzzing noise from tv
    b)watching tv in low light
    c)phospher trails (which i dont have a clue about!!)
    my living room is bright during day (sun sets & rises in room) but only lit dimly on an evening – please could you give me some help on this matter as i dont want to spend around a grand & ‘get it wrong’!! after watching tv on crt would any of these be a ‘vast’ improvement? also, i currently dont have digital signal/sky etc (not switched on here till 2012) so would i be better to wait til then as i watch 99% tv progs on sd? daft questions i know but i dont know much about all this new tech stuff & really am confused to the point of giving up!! any help would be appreciated, many thanx.

  78. a) Buzzing is a real issue with Plasmas – especially when the screen is full white. I don’t believe this to be a deal breaker, but some people do.

    b) Not sure why you’re worried about watching in low light – this is what Plasmas are best at!

    c) Phosphor trails are basically Plasma’s equivalent of LCD Motion blur. It’s when you see coloured trails following very fast movement in the picture. If you’ve ever noticed white objects on black backgrounds leaving a visible after-glow on your CRT TV, you’ll know what to expect with phosphor trails.

    If you only get analogue TV, I would recommend you get a satellite dish installed to get SD TV via Freesat, is that doable? The Panasonic TVs are actually not half bad at decoding an analogue PAL signal, so it could be worse, but I definitely say go digital ASAP.

  79. Does this support mkv full hd via usb??

  80. David
    Can’t thank you enough. I have been researching and thanks to you now zeroed in on 2: G20B or V20B. But now I am now still torn b/w two. Is it really really worth paying the extra £400GBP. If you can answer the following points it may help me decide finally:
    – Describe exactly what you will regard as low light in ambient situation? At day time, I have one french window sitting at back of my TV position. Is it too bright etc? At night we just have a energy efficient lamp (20W) in a fairly big room which is L shaped. Will a G20 suffice for such lighting with respect to picture against V20
    – I see that you have a G20. Do you plan to upgrade to V20?
    – For SD (soap opera) transmission, does V20 really make much noticable difference?
    – Is the sound really much different b/w the two.

  81. Hi David, thanks for the review. My v20e has the same issues like buzzing ( pana. service says normal fan noise), motion blur (pana. service says tv is tested and none failures) etc. I also have 2 other pana. plasmas (2006 and 2008) as well and none of them has such issues. are we using new technlogies to make things go worse?

  82. David,

    I have purchased a TXP50V20B as a result of your review.

    I am new to plasma and find the impending set up somewhat daunting, judging from the comments above. Living in a remote area with no hands-on advice available, is there a simple process I can follow?

    Equally, can I connect my Sony 5:1 cinema sound system from my previous TV ( STR-DB840) as is, or will i need an additional connector?

  83. You should be able to connect the 5.1 system without any problem, but it’s hard to say without knowing exactly how it interfaces.

    As for setup: simply go into the Picture menu, select the “THX” mode, turn Sharpness all the way down to 0 (for HD) or a few clicks (SD). For the first 200 hours, ration content with particularly garish on-screen logos or score counters (video games). That’s it! Just watch and enjoy.

    @Som: the G20 is the best value for money. Sound is a little better (bassier) on the V20. You won’t notice a drastic difference in quality in most viewing environments.

  84. Power Consumption
    Default [Normal] mode 139 watts
    Calibrated [Professional1] mode 160 watts
    Standby 1 watt
    Measurements taken using full 50% grey screen.

    ok, the above doesn`t make any sense to real world use. So is misleading
    As being a plasma average use would (i`d of thought) close to 200-250w

    full 50% grey screen? (is this real world use to the buyer?)

    Average power consumption from panasonic is 180w via using IEC 62087 Ed.2 measurement which again is misleading as it`s based on (clause 2) video content to be used for On (average) mode measurements.

    Dont you think you should do us a favour and base it on (Clause 4) On (average) mode for measuring average television power consumption.

    At the moment i think it`s dodgy for the user to recognise the average power consumption figures shown in real world terms here.

    what are your thoughts on this….

  85. Thanks David, excellent review.

    This Plasma is tempting now it’s coming down in price but the only issue is the poor quality speakers.
    So my question is, what is the “most basic ” audio upgrade?

    Would this work?
    http://www.bose.co.uk/GB/en/home-and-personal-audio/speakers/stereo-speakers/161-speakers/

    Any suggestions would be much appreciated. cheers!

  86. I note this review doesn’t address the qualities of the so-called “Media player” incorporated in the set.

    It is VERY POOR and lacking in Codec support. It even finds many MPEG-2 movies (the main standard it is supposed to support) impossible to play. nd forget about playing MOV, MP4 etc etc.

    I am very surprised that a company like Panasonic is prepared to go to market withy such poorly deisnged feature – you will find that they are also unable to provide much in the way of support and assitance since the guys in th Home entertainment section know almost NOTHING about digital media!!

  87. @Rik
    just purchased a TX P42 and also looking for a simple enhancement to the sound minimal wiring etc and considering the following offerings
    Panasonic SC-HTX500
    http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/Products/Home+Cinema/DVD+Home+Cinema+Systems/SC-HTX500/Specification/4720761/index.html?trackInfo=true
    or
    Yamaha YRS-700
    http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/audio-visual/hometheater-systems/theater-rack-systems/yrs-700__g/?mode=model

    not meant to compete with true 5.1 or 7.1 systems but should lift the sound performance to acceptable levels for general listening with extra clout for films /music. Also both fully viera/arc compatible so all controled by the TV remote.

  88. Is it safe to assume that the Panasonic TXP46G20 (46″ screen) would be just as good as the 42″ reviewed here? I.e the same spec & performance but with a bigger screen or the fact that teh screen is bigger influence picture quality?

    Also, do Panasonic plasma panels suffer from the so-called panel lottery issues that Samsung LCDs have?

  89. Hi David,

    Thanks for your review, which I have found very useful and informative. I am considering of geting a P50V20, but am concerned about the pictures being too dim in a room with lighting. I saw the TV in the shop and I thought the pictures were quite dim. I enjoy the black levels but some of the colours I saw where too dim to be appreciated. I am just wondering if the reviews and ppl generally watch the V20 in darkened conditions (i.e. with little or no lighting). Or is this to do with the settings of the TV?

    Thanks again
    Marcus

  90. Hey Marcus
    In a shop, the picture will look very dim.
    How bright is the lighting in your own home? How many windows are there, are they big, does a lot of light shine in?
    The V20s are some of the dimmer TVs on the market, but they still put out enough brightness for most viewing environments. If you have a particularly sun-filled room (we don’t get that much in the UK), an LCD/LED LCD would be better to fight the ambient light. Otherwise the V20 is fine.

  91. Thanks, David. I live in the UK. The room has spot lighting and has plenty of light coming through the two windows. Is the reason why the picture looks dim in a shop due to the lighting (fluorescent lighting rather than bulbs/spot lighting)? The V20 has been highly recommended by many reviewers, including yourself. If I went down the LCD/LED route, which TV is in your favourite (for 50 inch)? Appreciate your comments.

    Thanks
    Marcus

  92. Hi David, thanks for the review. I currently have a panasonic TH-37PV500B, some 4/5 years old now. It’s been fantastic but as I’ve now just taken delivery of the brand new Virgin Media Tivo (HD output) and my ps3 system, I thought I’d update the TV..
    I picked the 42inch V20 because of its reviews.
    Not being so clued up on TV’s I was wondering if there is a simple guide to getting the TV set up correctly? or are there any calibration dvd’s that are good to use?
    Any help most welcome.

  93. David,

    Really appreciate the time and effort you put into your reviews. On the basis of the V20 review I purchased a 42″ model earlier this month. So far I am very happy with it bar one particular issue which is driving me to distraction:

    When viewing (mostly SD tv via Sky) the reds displayed on screen seem overly ‘bright’ and almost a little blurred at the edges. Forgive my lack of technical jargon but I am fairly new to this stuff!

    In-line with your recommendations I have set the Picture Mode to THX and turned the sharpness almost to 0. The picture seems improved if I use the ‘normal’ picture mode… I appreciate the screen is still very new and make take some time to settle but I was surprised at this characteristic on such a highly rated display.

    Your thoughts would be appreciated!

    Kind regards,
    Duncan

  94. If you’re using the THX mode, then you’re seeing a very, very close match for what the programme is supposed to look like. Meaning that if the reds look too bright, then the issue is likely with the programme itself, since the TV is simply reproducing what it’s fed.

    Or perhaps you previously owned a TV which showed reds as too dark, and you’re acclimatising?

  95. @Roy Fox:
    the THX mode is nearly perfect as it is. Just select this, and set the Sharpness to 0 (for HD) or a few clicks (SD).

    If you want to improve on the picture after that, you’ll need to get into the realm of full calibration (measuring from the screen using a specialised meter and software). You can hire someone to do it for you, it costs about 250-300 pounds. http://www.illuminant.tv is one company doing calibrations.

  96. mehmet (from turkey)

    playing movie from usb flash disk is disappointed. it should be fat32 and under 4 GB :( it is also for usb hdd. :(

  97. Have a problem with my panasonic 50v20 it sounds like a bee. Hear Audio from the 15-20kHz. should I hear that sound? . Pain in the head of the sound and my tinnutus than that phase when sitting and watching TV. It must be my TV is faulty or the plasma sound like?. I have always had LCD before. / / Daniel
    LyssnaLäs fonetiskt

  98. Purchase the tx-p42v20b a month ago and must say it is the most amazing TV I have seen in term of SD and HD channels being powered by a virgin media box. I had no budget but technology and value for money.

    I can say with all the TV that are available Plasma, LCD, LED etc nothing compares to the price, value and maturity of the plasma tx-p42v20b Panasonic display.

    The full force of TV was experiences when watching nature channel with fast moving background image with focus on a animal hunt.

    My choice was based on research such is this website and user reviews. Price with latest technology does not buy quality as I have experience previously as I also own a LCD LG TV which compares nothing to Panasonic.

    I am full satisfied with this TV knowing that it is future proof (not 3D ready). However with 3D ready TV technology changing and maturing my option was not to go for 3D ready. Whats the point? Maybe 5-10 years down the line I will consider this option with more 3D broadcast channels being available and media formats. Not sure if tx-p42v20b as capable of delivery 3D though will have to research.

    I also experience buzzing sound then I release it was STB cooling or recording etc. Anyway never experience the sound but I did read up on it before I got the TV still had the confidence to purchase this.

    Anyway hope this helps anyone….

  99. Hello David. The USA vt20/25 has a higher black level than the euro V20/Vt20 model (usa model measured by d-nice 0,004 fl) (euro – dday.it/hdtvtest 0,001751181/0,0026 fl) This sugest that our models are better or the meter used is worst?

  100. I’d be surprised if the US models had a worse black level, but it’s not impossible. All of our black level readings are taken on a fully black screen on a fairly new panel, with the Klein K10 colorimeter having gone through a new black calibration in a dark room pushed against a darkened surface. The K10 is accurate down to 0.0002 cd/m2 also.

    A lot of things can affect black level measurements. I believe the US models also have a “Panel Brightness” option that the European ones don’t, which could affect it. I wouldn’t be too concerned either way, though.

  101. I’ve been checking out the G20 for some months now – price shot up back in November and apart from limited low-priced stock in M&s the price hasn’t been less than £650. I’m now in a position to buy a tv but the V20 is available for £762 inc 5 year warranty – is it worth an extra £112 disregarding ambient light conditions or would I just be paying more for a grey bezel?

  102. David Mackenzie

    I would say get the G20. The V20 does have a slightly better black level, but it’s VERY slight.

  103. V20 or G20 …..definitely the V20 i have had both and the v20 has better blacks and is way better in a bright room,the G20 in a bright room would would have a very grey picture, it was very very irritating luckily my daughter smashed it with a wii remote….so much for the :tough panel: so i upgeaded to the v20 very very pleased with it.

  104. When I have the sun reflected onto the screen of my V20 on standby, the screen looks there is a sort of ‘mottled’ effect to it and not clear like my previous LCD. I hope this makes sense..and is normal?

  105. I read this review and was pretty much convinced with this Plasma. Bought it day before . I am absolutely joyed by the way this Plasma produces HD content. Even satellite TV was decent in terms of picture quality and sound produced. Great Plasma.

  106. Hi David,

    After reading this review I’m torn. Is it the TX-P42V20B @ £720 or the TX-P42G20B @ £560?

  107. Thanks David,

    for this very objective and comprehensive review. I just bought one TX-P42V20 for 850€ :-) . My question is a bit off-topic because it is not related to picture quality as shown in this review. The TV has small internet ability, named as viera cast. The technology behind this ist a kind of ce-html. Do you know if panasonic plans to introduce HbbTV with “red-button” functionality for their PDPs? (and for this one as well?)
    Regards,
    Hardy

  108. Panasonic 42v20 is really a rocker. This supports exfat file system upto 2TB. There is no support for NTFS harddrives. I was able to play .dat, .avi .divx files on my panny. good quality

  109. Supports external HDD through USB. U have to format the HDD using ex-fat file system under windows 7/xp sp3

  110. 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?

  111. Hi David – I was hoping you could help me out here…i was after the calibrated settings you used on the Panasonic TX-P42V20 when you tested it last year.

    I’ve got the same TV and would like to try out your calibrated settings if you have documented them anywhere? I’ve looked on HDTV’s Facebook site but couldn’t find the settings on any of the posts.

    I would be very grateful if you could email me the calibrated settings you used when you reviewed this set or post them up here.

    Thanks in advance.

    Hitesh

  112. i have had this tv for about a year and i love it..great black levels..good colour,tinny sound but av amp sorts that….i hope the new ’30 range is as good

  113. I’ve had this tv for 9 months now, absolutely love it, it’s never disappointed, and this review is one of several I studied carefully.

    This tv has been so impressive that an acquaintance of mine has had to buy the later p42vt30 on the strength of it.

  114. i have this tv but i think i have i set too bright,i copied the calibration setting you published above but there was no mention of brightness setting…can you help..otherwise great plasma and ta for review

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