Panasonic TC-P50S1 Reviewed
Written by man on July 3rd, 2009 in Other.
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.
Picture
One of the best things about the Panasonic TC-P50S1 is the fact that it creates deep black levels. Although this is a common feat among Plasma TVs, the black levels of the TC-P50S1 are still worth mentioning since they are the best that Panasonic has come up with so far. The other colors are saturated, too, although less than accurate in some situations. The shadow detail is excellent, as well.
These remain true in fast-motion sequences. After all, Plasma TVs have the edge over LCD televisions in terms of delivering excellent fast-moving images and the TC-P50S1 is no different. In fact, it comes with a 600Hz sub-field drive and a Full-Time 1080 TV Lines Moving Picture Resolution to make sure the images appear just as crisp and clear even in very fast motion.
Design
Like most HDTVs, the TC-P50S1 sports a minimalistic, elegant design. It has a simple yet sleek glossy black frame with round corners and a thin silver strip at the bottom. The Panasonic and Viera logos, along with the large power button and indicator light are barely noticeable. You won’t notice the speakers, either. In fact, they are cleverly hidden in keeping with the current fashion.
Remote Control
The remote control that comes with the TC-P50S1 is also similar to others, but not as good as most since it doesn’t have a backlight. Buttons with different colors, shapes and sizes help make up for this, though, since they can be easily distinguished even in the dark.
Inputs and Outputs
There are a lot of devices that you can connect to the Panasonic TC-P50S1, though not as much compared to high-end models. It has three HDMI inputs where you can plug in your Blu-Ray player, DVD player and game console, as well as your computer, if it is HDMI-capable, since this HDTV does not come with a VGA input like some. While it does not have a USB slot, it has an SD card slot, and several other inputs and outputs which make it satisfactory when it comes to connectivity.
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 plasma reviews for HDTVreviewlab.com. To read more about the Panasonic TC-P50S1 or check out the latest Panasonic HDTV reviews visit HDTVreviewlab.com
