Panasonic TC-P50S1 review
In recent years, plasma TVs have come a long way to catch up with LCD TVs. In fact, many plasma TVs can now prevent and treat screen burn-in, which is considered one of the biggest problems with plasma TVs. Some have even found ways to consume much less power than usual, like the Panasonic TC-P50S1, which also comes with some great features.
Picture quality
The Panasonic TC-P50S1 offers excellent image quality, so it falls short of many high-end models. The black levels are especially worth mentioning as they are the deepest that Panasonic has been able to produce so far. Shadow detail is also impeccable and colors are saturated and vibrant, seemingly bursting across the entire screen, which is why they remain great despite inaccurate color temperatures – a common problem with Panasonic panels.
Even moving images appear crisp and clear on the TC-P50S1’s screen, a feat achieved by the combination of its 600Hz subfield drive and full-time 1080TVL moving image resolution. This means the TC-P50S1 displays full 1080 lines even during fast-moving scenes, compared to some HDTVs that temporarily reduce the number of lines to keep up.
Design
The TC-P50S1 has a simple and elegant design similar to other models, sporting logos, buttons, and an indicator light that blend nicely with its glossy black frame, which also comes with gently rounded edges and a thin silver stripe at the bottom. . It also has a glossy black stand. What sets the TC-P50S1 apart, though, are its hidden speakers, which add style and appeal.
Remote
The TC-P50S1’s remote isn’t infrared or equipped with a backlight, making it less good than many TV remotes. Still, it has smooth buttons that come in different colors, sizes, and shapes, making them easy to find and use even in the dark.
connectivity
The Panasonic TC-P50S1 has three HDMI inputs for you to connect your Blu-Ray player, DVD player and game console. It also has two component video inputs, two AV inputs, one RF input, and one digital audio output. It even has an SD card slot. However, it doesn’t have a VGA input, which means you can’t connect your computer unless it’s HDMI-compatible, nor does it have a USB slot.
Energy efficiency
As mentioned above, the TC-P50S1 doesn’t consume as much electricity as most plasma TVs, which consume around twice the electricity that LCD TVs do. This is because it has an innovative plasma display panel and default image settings that are slightly dimmer than others. Because of this, the Panasonic TC-P50S1 earned an Energy Star 3.0.
Other features
Another great feature of the Panasonic TC-P50S1 is the Viera Link. With this feature, you can turn on all of your HDMI-compatible devices with the push of a button, saving you the time and inconvenience of turning each one on individually. It also has features to prevent and treat screen burn-in, such as pixel orbiter and scrollbar feature. In this way, it’s similar enough to several higher-end models, but its price isn’t, making it a good HDTV to consider when shopping for yours.