Ratings:
5/5
Price:
$1800
Panasonic TX-P42GT50
Last
year’s GT30 series
range won an Award in nearly every size category, so there was a lot of
expectation for the new sets. And sure enough, Panasonic’s 2012 GT50 range has
yet again set the benchmark for plasma TVs.
We first
tested the P42GT50 in our June issue and gave it a rave review. This is a good
looking set, with sleek black bezel outlining the screen propped up on a
discreet black stand.
What sets
this TV apart is its expertly judged balance of contrast and colors. Play a
Blu-ray episode of Firefly and you’ll find deep blacks that are still
able to show up subtle details in the shadowy and muted interior of Serenity.
White areas are sufficiently bright, and have a natural illumination to them
that feels warm and inviting. Details of clothing textures and the lived-in
grubbiness of Whedon’s alternate multiverse are
wonderfully rendered, and the bursts of light and flame of Serenity’s engine
glow and excite against the backdrop of inky, endless space.
There’s
occasional color banding, which shows up during the innumerable lens flares in
both Firefly and JJ Abrams’ Star Trek. Plasma sets
sometimes have a bit of picture noise, and edges aren’t quite as sharply
defined as with rival LED sets.
However, in
this case it gets close to the likes of the Sony for edge definition, and keeps
noise at bay. The upside of plasma tends to be subtlety of colors and strong
black levels, and so it proves here.
The GT50 is
a good upscale of DVDs too: the animated film Metropolis is great to
watch. Motion artifacts are low and the set keeps a firm grip on details.
Picture adjusting options
The P42GT50
has a warm color balance that is comfortable to watch for long periods. Put it
in direct comparison with the crisper sets from Sony and Samsung, however, and
one can see that there’s a slightly sepia tint that might not be to everyone’s
taste. You can try to tone this down in the color balance settings, but it
tends to retain more of that sepia than other Panasonic sets.
While we’re
on the subject of picture adjustments, we would suggest toning down the
contrast if you find there’s too much glare. The motion handling is on a par
with the L42ET50, but turning off the 24fps smoothing option marks a noticeable
improvement – especially when watching Hugo in 3D with the active
shutter glasses (around $60) each.
There are
similar picture and sound modes to the L42ET50, but with the added feature of
THX certification. We calibrate all our sets for review with a THX optimizer
disc, but the P42GT50 comes with its own THX mode – although we found adjusting
in Normal mode gives the best results.
Switch to
broadcast TV – the P42GT50 has both Freeview HD and Freesat tuners – and that warm tone makes it an
entertainment watch. Tuning and set-up takes only a matter of minutes and
everything is easy to navigate with either the traditional remote or smartphone
control app. Freesat channels are a touch sharper and
more detailed than the Freeview HD equivalent.
Panasonic’s
VIERA Connect and Media Player hubs give you all the smart features, social
networking and online content you could hope to get your hands on. Through
either Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet connection, you have access to media stored on
devices like NAS, computers and smartphone, while on-demand music and videos
are easy to access and stream.
An endlessly watchable set
The
emergence of screens like the 40in Sony and Samsung, with their outright detail
definition and clarity means the P42GT50 will struggle to win this particular
test, but it’s the Panasonic’s handling of natural colors and contrast that
makes it endlessly watchable. This set remains a top performer.
