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Black level ability, colour,
3D ability
SD
pictures a little 'soft' for some, ads on Freeview HD
EPG
Design
Placed alongside a number of ultra slim LED TVs from the likes of Samsung and LG, the TX-P50VT20 looks decidedly chunky. While the look and feel of Panasonic's flagship 3D enabled Plasma retains the basic look and feel of the entire flat panel range, there is however one distinguishing feature, it is finished in a rather fetching bronzy brown colour.
A bold silver trim adorns the lower and upper part of the screen and the finish does actually feel as though it is a cut above other models lower down the Panasonic TV hierarchy.
Features
The TX-P50VT20 has been a much anticipated product, not only because it is the first 3D capable TV from a company that has championed the introduction of this new technology; but also because the latest generation NeoPDP flat panel screens are promising a performance to rival Pioneer's legendary 'Kuro' screens. The 'Kuro' range remain a benchmark for HDTV performance, even though they have now been discontinued.
Screen: 50in 16:9 Tuner: Digital Sound System: Nicam Resolution: 1,920 x 1080 Contrast Ratio: 5,000,000:1 Other Features: 3D, NeoPDP, Freesat HD and Freeview HD tuners, 600Hz sub-field drive, Vreal Pro 5. Sockets: 4 HDMI, 2 SCART (RGB), S-Video, Component Video, SD card slot.
Although Panasonic are not the only manufacturers of Plasma TVs, and in fact not the only producer of 3D enabled plasmas, they continue to be the standard bearer for a technology which is facing stiffer and stiffer competition from its technological cousin, LCD.
3D
Of course, the stand out feature of the VT20 is 3D, which in this particular implementation uses Frame Sequential technology to send a 1920x1080 Full-HD image to both left and right eyes.
A quick glance at the TX-P50VT20's 3D picture format menu reveals four options, "Auto", "Side by Side", "Top and Bottom", and "Original".
Out of these four options, only "Auto" (for use with 3D enabled Blu-ray players) will display a Full-HD image in both eyes. "Side by Side" or "Top and Bottom" have been designed to enable the likes of Sky 3D (with their dedicated 3D broadcast channel arriving this Autumn) to deliver extra dimensional images within the confines of their existing infrastructure.
"Side by Side" or "Top and Bottom" use signals which contain images for the Left and Right eye compressed into a single HD frame at the cost of either horizontal or vertical resolution.
Panasonic have been more generous than other 3D TV manufacturers and included two pairs of active shutter glasses (worth around £100 each) with the VT20.
NeoPDP
We were impressed with Panasonic's 2009 implementation of NeoPDP technology and there have been some significant improvements for 2010, notably Infinite Black Pro, which promises black levels to rival Pioneer's 'Kuro' range.
The original NeoPDP technology introduced larger cell surfaces and improved phosphor mixtures to enhance flat panel luminance efficiency. The 2010 implementation offers an improved cell structure, improved phosphors and a new discharge gas formulae.
While the overall picture performance of plasma compares favorably to LCD, relative power consumption of the competing technologies has always exposed plasma's Achilles heal in significantly greater running costs. NeoPDP technology not only reduces power consumption but paves the way for slimmer, lighter screens with improved picture performance.
600Hz Sub-Field Drive
The VT20 retains 600Hz Sub-Field Drive Intelligent Frame Creation Pro technology. Things are always not quite what they seem however, and the 600Hz as we shall see does not translate into 600 frames per second.
Remembering that a video signal is actually a series of still images (frames) appearing so quickly that they trick the eye into believing we are watching a moving image (100Hz = 100 frames per second) - Sub-Field technology adds an extra step to the process. Sub-field drive is the method used to display (or 'flash') the individual image elements (dots) on a plasma panel, 600 times per second (600Hz).
Panasonic are actually employing some clever technology to 'interpolate' this extra data. Although the number of frames has not increased to 600fps, the technology has produced impressive results in terms of enhanced picture smoothness.
Connectivity
The P50VT20 gets 4 HDMI inputs (1 is v1.4), a D-sub PC jack, two USB inputs a LAN port and SD card slot. The LAN port gives you access to Panasonic's 'Viera Cast' service with the likes of YouTube and 'Skype' (currently showing a 'coming soon' message) and also enables file streaming from a DLNA-capable PC.
An optional USB dongle gives you the option of substituting the hard wired LAN connection for Wi-fi and interestingly, you can record to an external HDD (Hard Disk Drive) via the USB. You can copy Standard or High Definition programmes (although not via the analogue tuner) to a HDD between 160GB and 2TB. Unfortunately you can't use a memory stick and recordings can only be played back on the TV you made the recording ...
The TX-P50VT20 is also DLNA compliant meaning that you can access and view content from a home networked PC, NAS or USB device.
Freesat and Freeview HD tuners
Covering both bases, the VT20 gets a built-in Freesat HD and Freeview HD tuner for free (no subscription) High Definition programmes.
Bear in mind that Freeview HD services are currently being rolled out across the UK, so it is important to check via Freeview whether they are available in your area.
Picture Processing
Panasonic's core picture processing technology now comes in the shape of Vreal Pro 5 3D.
Unlike Samsung, Panasonic have not implemented any form of 'Pseudo' 2D to 3D conversion citing the unpredictable nature of a 3D image created in this way (having witnessed Samsung's efforts in this direction we tend to agree with them).
Calibration and Certification
The VT20 gets ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) compatibility which means that a certified professional can now calibrate your TV. Panasonic have actually had to add more precise tweaking options such as an improved colour management system to get ISF on board.
The TH-P50VT20 is THX certified and with tough criteria to meet in the shape of brightness, contrast and video processing for a home theater level of video reproduction this is more than a window dressing exercise.
To get THX certification, TVs are rigorously tested to ensure they produce film images exactly as the film's creators intended them.
Performance
Speculation abounds that the 2010 crop of Panasonic plasmas has been influenced by Pioneer 'Kuro' technology. Both companies have in fact signed a technology sharing agreement but have consistently denied the direct transference of the elements which made 'Kuro' so special.
Black Levels
Whatever the technological background of the TX-P50V20, it delvers some of the most accomplished black levels we have seen for some time.
Are they as good as the benchmark Pioneer 'Kuro'? well, they come close and looking at the two screens independently, you would be hard pressed to spot any difference. Ultimately however, the Pioneer still manages to produce slightly blacker blacks and a touch more shadow detail across darker scenes.
The differences we measured are bordering on negligible however, the VT20 coming very close to the black level abilities of the benchmark Pioneer and delivering one of the finest performances in this respect we have come across for some time.
Panasonic have also managed to reduce the negative effect of 'ambient' light which gave 2009 models a slightly washed out look with high contrast material. Even in broad daylight, the VT20 manages to retain a high degree of contrast. Reflections can be present, but this is something that we have more control over.
Colour
The black level performance provides an excellent blank canvas for the realization of colour.
While any Plasma is unlikely to deliver the colour vibrancy you get from LCD technology, it more than makes up for the shortcoming with one of the most 'naturalistic' colour performances we have come across.
The accuracy of colours is quite uncanny, making even tricky areas such as skin tones appear wholly realistic.
2D Picture Performance
The faster phosphor discharge element of NeoPDP technology was actually designed primarily for 3D performance but it impacts positively on the 2D capabilities of this screen.
With fast on screen action, phosphor trailing (purple snakes) have largely disappeared.
Overall, Standard Definition viewing on the TX-P50VT20 is excellent. Even with a poor quality SD feed, the screen's upscaling abilities produce an image that is largely free from any inconsistencies.
PWM (pulse width modulation) which can cause a 'shimmering' effect on even the finest plasmas has largely been removed.
The accomplished black level performance and colour ability combine with Panasonic's picture processing wizardry to produce one of the sharpest, cleanest, most stable and ultimately one of the best SD performances we have come across for some time.
One of the most impressive aspects of recent plasma offerings from Panasonic has been their High Definition performance. In fact, in most cases HD performance could only be described as sublime.
The TX-P50VT20 has actually managed to take HD performance to another level which is a little awkward in that we now need to come up with a new set of superlatives.
What recent Panasonic plasma screens have achieved with HD material is a sense of realism that gets as close to being a totally immersive 2D experience as any entertainment medium we have come across.
The P50VT20 actually improves this experience with a level of detail that thanks to NeoPDP technology, in our opinion, actually surpasses Pioneer's 'Kuro' range. The level of detail, sharpness and clarity with High Definition material and the sense of reality it creates is simply stunning.
3D Picture Performance
With Panasonic's DMP-BDT300 Blu-ray player and a test disc, we were able to get a pretty good idea of frame sequential 3D (for Blu-ray) rather than the potentially poorer quality side-by-side method which Sky will us for their dedicated 3D Channel.
While the appreciation of 3D is undoubtedly a very subjective experience, in our opinion, the Panasonic is the best of a new breed of extra dimensional performers we have come across.
Without exception, on other 3D enabled screens we have encountered the problem of 'crosstalk'; where an image designed for one eye remains visible just long enough to interfere with the next image for the other eye.
Thank to the improved response time afforded by NeoPDP technology, 'crosstalk' is never a problem.
Along with the uncanny sense of depth provided by the 3D engine, Panasonic have been careful enough to produce a 3D image which is stable, sharp and generally almost as accomplished as a normal 2D image.
What Panasonic and to a lesser degree other manufacturers have been able to demonstrate is that 3D is going to be much more than a passing whim. The technology works, and it works well
We hope that a small but potentially significant hiccup, Panasonic's 3D glasses, won't spoil the 3D experience. The glasses Panasonic produce are actually quite uncomfortable to wear over long periods and the distance between the lens and the eye actually allows some interference form ambient light.
Acoustics
The presence of an option within the P50V20's menu system to key in the distance the screen sits from the wall gives us some hope that the acoustic performance, so often a disappointment on flat panel TVs, will prove a pleasant surprise.
Despite other adjustment options, including various Pseudo surround sound modes, the acoustic performance (like most LCD and Plasmas) can only be described as average. Like so many other TVs that make concessions to style over the bulky speakers required for strong sound, acoustics are rather 'thin' lacking that top end base that requires a decent surface area to create.
Conclusion
With stunning High Definition and Standard definition picture performance, the TX-P50VT20 is the best all round TV we have come across in 2010.
While in years to come we might look back on the 3D abilities of this screen as a little rudimentary, it offers a genuine and truly involving extra dimensional experience right now.
Black level ability, colour,
3D ability
SD
pictures a little 'soft' for some, ads on Freeview HD
EPG
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