CNET reviews Panasonic's 720p TC-P50X1 plasma

The reviews for Panasonic's lineup of 2009 plasmas keep rolling along, and CNET recently turned its attention to the 50-inch TC-P50X1 and the 1366x768 pixels in its non-NeoPDP panel. The lack of the "near infinite" NeoPDP contrast didn't keep the set delivering great black levels and brightness uniformity, and even delivering images that subjectively held up next to 1920x1080 pixel displays. Unfortunately the P50X1 suffered some color accuracy problems (boosted greens) and a persnickety series of faint gray lines running diagonally through the screen which sounds like exactly the sort of artifact that's hard to "un-see" once spotted. Still, if you are planning to sit a good 10-feet or so from a 50-inch display, you may not see the lines or the lack of full 1080p resolution and Panasonic won't make you pay for the extra pixels; hit the link for the full review and let your own peepers decide.

[Via DigitalHomeThoughts]

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 28th 2009 1:53PM]

So basically we're talking a really good 50" 720 plasma (for most people a 720 50" is just fine) for around $1000 or less. That is amazing. I'm sold.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 30th 2009 5:35PM]

For a little extra, it is probably worth going to Panasonics THX certified Viera 1080p plasmas instead. They are the highest rated displays on the market right now, and they're actually affordable somehow.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 30th 2009 5:43PM]

They're affordable because VIERAs are TEH AWSUM!!! Why anyone would buy anything else is beyond me.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 28th 2009 2:18PM]

does anyone know when these ship in canada?

we got these c1's for $100 less with no AR filter, game mode and one less hdmi input.

I would say its worth to get those for $100.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 28th 2009 2:32PM]

Interesting, but not sure I'd want to buy a 720P TV right now. 1080P TV's are getting cheap!


Chris
highdefjunkies.com

[landoncube Posted Apr 28th 2009 3:24PM]

Please consider moving this article to ENGADGET SD.

720p is NOT HD.

[nsfw Posted Apr 28th 2009 4:09PM]

Its not? So you mean all that broadcast content that people with 1080p sets are using to display most of the time is just SD content? All this talk about which provider has the most HD channels should be really re-titled, provider with the most SD+ channels? Looks like marketing has worked very well with you. BTW, in some lab somewhere an engineer is laughing at you with 1080p while he's playing with his 2160p set.

[skeelo58 Posted Apr 28th 2009 7:28PM]

Ummm, Yes it is. Apparently you have been brainwashed by the marketing hype that is 1080p. So what you are telling me is that the ONLY way to get HD is to have a blu-ray player. You are wrong my friend. 720p IS HD.

[DrXym Posted Apr 29th 2009 12:19PM]

720p is HD, but the obvious consequence of buying a 720p native set is any content in 1080i or 1080p will have to be downscaled, tossing away half the picture detail in the process. I don't see much justification for buying an essentially crippled television set when 1080p native sets are abundant and affordable.

[coreysmith Posted Apr 28th 2009 3:30PM]

hmmm, vertical lines? I sell flat panels for a living and this is my best selling set. never noticed any faint vertical lines, and never had a single return on a 50X1. anyway, i tend not to let cnet reviews carry too much weight; besides making a few adjustments through the user menus, they dont professionally calibrate what they review.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 28th 2009 7:14PM]

This review is disappointing for me due to whatever these diagonal lines may be. They weren't there on last years models, and I fear that 720P plasmas won't come back for an encore next year. My only hope is that the TC-P42X1 doesn't exhibit this similar issue, because that is the size I'm more interested in.

I'm eager to buy a 42" plasma for the bedroom before LCD (damn you, crappy POS) or California kills off plasma. My main criteria are
1) budget - I'm not going to be watching all that much, so why break the bank? $600-$800max
2) energy efficiency - I'm cognizant this is the one area where plasma can't compete with LCD, and the difference can be dramatic.
3) picture - no corner-cutting, decreased manufacturing cost, zero QA standards BS like this diagonal line issue, and nothing too terrible in the imaging processing department

So Panny, if you're reading, here is my wishlist for a knock-out 42" HDTV that I'm sure most everyone would recognize as a well-rounded, bang-for-the-buck television. Not looking to win awards, but "good enough" and not too shabby.

42" 720P matte screen (less light reflection, the better)
30K+:1 native contrast ratio (I'm happy this years entry models doubled NCR, 15k->30k, BRAVO!)
3 HDMI, 2 component, 1 S-Video, 2 composite inputs, 1 TOSLINK output, and (of course) RF
decent image processing,

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 28th 2009 7:16PM]

decent image processing, "

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 28th 2009 7:22PM]

decent image processing, LESS THAN 3% overscan, and default settings draw LESS THAN 160W
$600-$800 price tag
Extra credit: 5 year burn-in warranty; Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube connectivity

I'm doubtful any neo-PDP 1080P panel will be able to match the energy efficiency of a 720P display, but if Panny would pass down some of their tricks, that would be great. Also, unless you're sitting less than 6ft from the TV, 1080P is virtually a waste at this screen size, so I say save the energy. Color accuracy and temp are never going to be perfect at this price range, but the last thing I want to see Panny do is to start cutting corners and making a shabby entry level plasma, ala LG. Fix this diagonal line problem and keep your integrity. My energy wishes are aggressive, but considering most 42" LCDs run at ~100W, I'm only willing to absorb so much of an energy premium. Finally, I think if Panny offered some kind of a warranty against burn-in, it would finally erase that concern in the minds of most novice consumers.

Finally, thanks to Corey and all the thoughtful-minded salesmen who push plasma for its merits, as opposed to LCDs for its kickbacks.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 28th 2009 8:17PM]

This set is perfect for those who just want to replace their old tv set without going in debt too deep. 1080 for some people is overkill.