Plasma televisions are a great choice when it comes to buying an HDTV, particularly for their fast refresh rate and deep colors. You just have to make sure you get one that doesn’t suffer from screen burn-in and doesn’t use up too much electricity, which is why the Panasonic TC-P50S1 is certainly worth considering.
Image Quality
Plasma TVs are especially known for their deep black levels, and this is something which the Panasonic TC-P50S1 definitely lives up to. In fact, the black levels displayed on the TC-P50S1 are the deepest produced by Panasonic so far. As for the other colors, they are saturated enough and appear vibrant on the screen, although they fall short in terms of accuracy – a problem common to Panasonic panels. If you look closely, you might notice a slight green tinge on light colors. Then again, this is easy to overlook compared to the excellent shadow detail.
Plasma TVs also produce crisp and clear images even during very fast-moving sequences, which is again something that the TC-P50S1 easily accomplishes. After all, it is equipped with a 600Hz sub-field drive and a patented Full-Time 1080 TV Lines Moving Picture Resolution which prevents fast-moving images from becoming blurry.
Design
The TC-P50S1 has a simple and elegant design similar to other models, sporting logos, buttons and an indicator light that blend in nicely with its glossy black frame, which also comes with gently rounded edges and a thin silver strip 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 remote control of the TC-P50S1 is neither infrared nor equipped with a backlight, which makes it not as good as many TV remote controls. Still, it has soft buttons which come in different colors, sizes and shapes, making them easy to find and use even in the dark.
Connectivity Options
The Panasonic TC-P50S1 has enough inputs and outputs, though not as much as high-end models. It has three HDMI inputs – two on the back and one on the side. It also has two AV inputs, two component-video inputs, an RF input for your cable or antenna, an SD card slot and a digital audio output, though not a standard analog one. Also, you will need to have an HDMI-capable computer if you want to use this as a monitor since it does not have a VGA input.
Power Consumption
As mentioned earlier, the Panasonic TC-P50S1 does not use up as much electricity as most Plasma TVs. In fact, it qualified for an Energy Star 3.0, which it owes to its new plasma display panel and the low light output of its default or standard picture setting. Naturally, this means lower electric bills and one more reason to love and buy this HDTV.
Other Features
The Panasonic TC-P50S1 also comes with the Viera Link, a feature which allows you to switch on all your HDMI-capable devices, such as your DVD player, Blu-Ray player and surround sound speakers with just the press of a button. It has features to prevent and treat screen burn-in, as well, so you can always have great images on your screen. All these make the Panasonic TC-P50S1 a good HDTV, and definitely one worth considering with its relatively low price.
Edward McKellen is an HDTV expert who writes lcd television reviews for HDTVreviewlab.com. To read more about the Panasonic TC-P50S1 plasma or check out the latest Sony HDTV reviews visit HDTVreviewlab.com