With the launch of their PZ81 series of Plasmas, Panasonic have become the first in the UK to offer TV's with built-in Freesat High Definition (HD) compatible tuners.

The PZ81 range is available in 50in, 46in and 42in sizes and all offer Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. Although consumers will not need to buy a new Freesat satellite box it is worth remembering that a satellite dish is still required to access the Freesat service.

All of the new screens feature Panasonic's latest image processing engine, V-Real Pro 3 a major constituent of which is 'Intelligent Frame Creation' technology. Designed to remove 'flicker' from fast moving action, the function adds extra frames to the picture giving then a smoother and more fluid appearance. These extra frames are created using a complicated algorithm which analyses the current speed and direction of on-screen elements.

The new G11 panels feature a claimed contrast ratio of 30,000:1 and 24p Real Cinema has been designed to render a 'judder free' interpretation of films shot at 24 frames per second (most TV is shot at 25 frames per second).

The environmentally aware among you will be pleased to know that production of the PZ81 series is lead-free and an 'Eco' mode lowers power consumption.

Read a full review of the Panasonic TH42PZ81 here

Panasonic TH-42PZ81  

Panasonic TH-46PZ81  

Panasonic TH-50PZ81