The TC-P50VT25 is a 50 inch 3D ready TV that is part of Panasonic’s flagship Viera VT25 series of Plasma TVs. The VT25 is an upgrade over the VT10 line of Panasonic TVs from 2009. Along with 3D capabilities, the TC-P50VT25 features numerous technology improvements over the previous generation of Panasonic plasma TVs.With improved picture quality and black levels, 600Hz sub field drive technology for enhanced screen refresh rates and butter smooth 3-D performance, the TC-P50VT25 is an extremely attractive choice for consumers. Continue reading our review of the Panasonic TC-P50VT25 to find out if it is the best 3D TV for you.
Highlights of the Panasonic TC-P50VT25 Review
Strengths
* Excellent picture quality with exceptional black levels, color fidelity and details
* THX Certification for excellent out of the box image quality
* Neo Plasma display panel technology enables true 1080 lines of moving resolution for video content
* Anti glare technology for comfortable viewing
* Industry leading 3D display performance. Smooth and flicker free 3D viewing without any ghosting or motion blur artifacts
* Ability to play 1080p 24fps 2D content (Blu-ray and some satellite programming) at 96Hz via 4:4 pull down for smooth, judder free viewing.
* Provides excellent value for money. Cheaper than high-end edge lit LED TVs while retaining a performance advantage when it comes to Picture quality and 3D display technology
Weaknesses
* Display is around 3.5 inches thick. Not as slim as Samsung’s edge-lit LED 3D TVs.
* Only one Panasonic 3D glass included with purchase. Additional active shutter glasses cost $150 a pop.
* Plasma panel is not as bright as LCD panels. This 3D images can seem a little dim at times.
* 3D is still a new technology. It might take another generation of displays to get over the initial teething issues with these televisions.
Picture Quality
Flatpanel Resolution
The TC-P50VT25 features a Neo Plasma Display Panel (Neo PDP) capable of displaying full 1080p content. An important feature of this Plasma TV is its ability to display true 1080p video content since these plasma panels are capable of displaying full 1080 lines of moving resolution. What this essentially means is that the ability of screen elements to refresh at a fast rate on the VT25 Plasma TVs prevents any loss of screen resolution even when displaying fast moving scenes wherein all the screen elements require continuous updating. In direct contrast, LCD display technologies are still limited by their longer hold times and screen refresh rates, as a result of which, even the latest LCD 3D TVs such as Samsung’s 9000 Series are only capable of displaying 800-900 lines of moving resolution. While this isn’t a huge difference, it is still important to note that the TC-P50VT25 provides full 1080p motion resolution.
Color Accuracy
The Panasonic TC-P50VT25 is a THX certified 3D TV just like all other models in the VT25 series. The THX certification implies that these Plasma panel TVs are in line with rigorous THX standards for picture quality and meet critical standards in areas such as uniform brightness, accurate colors and color gamut, low black levels, high contrast ratios and the ability to display full HD video content. For the consumers, the THX certification guarantees excellent out of the box image quality for the TC-P50VT25.
Black level and Contrast
The VT25 series features Panasonic’s ‘Infinite Black Pro’ displays that allow for an astonishing dynamic contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1. This new technology results in significant improvements in black levels and dark level details as compared to the VT10 Plasma TV panels from 2009. The ability of the TC-P50VT25 to render accurate colors, low black levels and high contrast ratios makes it one of the best television displays of 2010 with significant improvement in the display quality of both 2D and 3D content.
Backlight Uniformity
Unlike edge-lit LED 3D TVs, the Panasonic TC-P50VT25 does not suffer from any non uniformities in the display brightness across the screen. This of course is a fundamental advantage of Plasma technology over LCD technology as the former does not rely on any backlighting for the display of images, but instead relies on the phosphorescence of phosphors on the plasma screen – something that is far more uniform and well controlled.
Refresh Rate and Video Processing
Perhaps one of the strongest fortes of the TC-P50VT25 is its video processing capabilities and its ability to handle multiple sources of video content with differing frame rates without sacrificing the quality of the displayed content.
The VT25 series of Plasma panels incorporate Panasonic’s revolutionary short decay red and green phosphors that have 1/3 the decay rate of conventional red and green phosophors that are used in typical Plasma panels. What this means is that it drastically cuts down on any sort of ghosting and blurring due to the lower decay times of red and green phosphors, something that is an issue on conventional Plasma TVs.
The TC-P50VT25 features the ability to display 3D content at 120Hz (60Hz per eye) as well as display regular 2D content at 60Hz for smooth video playback. One should not confuse the 60Hz per eye for 3D content as being inferior to LCD 3D TVs that quote 120 or even 240Hz per eye for 3D content, as the technologies are fundamentally different. Without going into the details here, keep in mind that a good 120Hz plasma panel with 60Hz per eye will produce a better 3D image quality than a 240 or 480Hz LCD panel due to the faster response time of Plasma panels.
Another important feature of the VT25 Plasma panels is its ability to switch to a refresh rate of 96Hz (an integer multiple of 24fps) thus allowing for a 4:4 pull down of 24fps video content (all your blu-ray HD material and some satellite programming) which results in exceptionally smooth video display without the much abhorred judder that is commonly observed in most LCD and Plasma panel TVs.
Viewing Angle
Like all Plasma TVs, the TC-P50VT25 performs very well when it comes to viewing angles. Plasma HDTVs in general exhibit superior viewing angles to LCD HDTVs and the TC-P50VT25 is no exception. This superior viewing angle of the VT25 panels is also beneficial for viewing 3D content and will provide a more comfortable 3D viewing experience for viewers sitting off-axis from the TV.
Optimal Viewing Distance
The optimal viewing distance for this 50 inch 3D TV is approximately 6 to 8 feet. Be sure to read our guide on calculating the best viewing distance and screen size for your 3D TV. It will help you correctly choose the optimal TV screen size and viewing distance for your home.
3D Technology and Performance
This television features a number of technological innovations such as shorter decay red and green phosphors, and the elimination of the second front glass panel by bonding an anti-glare filter directly to the glass panel of the screen. A new panel scanning system and anti-blur circuitry helps minimize cross-talk and image ghosting on the TC-P50VT25.
High Speed Drive
Most Plasma TVs are only capable of displaying content at 60fps. However, to achieve smooth flicker-free 3D viewing, these displays need to display frame-sequential 3D content at 120fps so that each eye views the resulting video at 60fps. To achieve this enhanced frame rate of 120fps without sacrificing the resulting brightness of the output image, Panasonic has developed and intergrated a high speed drive technology into the Neo plasma display panels thus enabling fast frame rates without affecting the image brightness.
Crosstalk Reduction Technology
As mentioned earlier, the new fast decay red and green phosphors, along with advanced circuitry enable a 66% reduction in phosphorescence decay times thus reducing crosstalk and ghost images. This is a very important technological innovation for Plasma panels that help the VT25 deliver a superior, ultra-smooth 3D experience free of any ghosting or motion blur artifacts.
Media, Internet and other Connectivity
The TC-P50VT25 3D TV comes equipped with wireless and Ethernet connectivity. You can utilize a number of services such as Netflix, Amazon, Youtube, Twitter, Skype, Video on Demand and much more. This television also comes with one active shutter 3D glass, although additional glasses will cost $150 each. Skype allows for making video calls and videoconferencing using your 3D Plasma TV although you will need to purchase a separate Skype camera to use this feature.
This television comes equipped with a large number of ports as listed below:
4 HDMI ports, 2 USB 2.0 ports, a PCI input, and RS232C.
Price and Verdict
The Panasonic TC-P50VT25 features a number of novel technological innovations that enable fundamental improvements in the performance of this plasma panel over last years premium Plasma TVs. With improved black levels, color accuracy, glare reduction, screen refresh rates andenergy efficiency, this TV is a great choice even if you are only looking to upgrade to a better quality TV for 2D content. The 3D is almost a bonus, and it certainly does not disappoint. While there will surely be some teething issues with the first generation of 3D TVs, the Panasonic VT25 series appears to hold the lead over all its other competitors when it comes to 3D performance and 3D video quality. The plasma panel technology also means that this television will be significantly cheaper than some of the ultra-slim LED edge-lit 3D TVs being released by other manufacturers like Samsung. We at Best 3D TVs believe that the Panasonic TC-P50VT25 is an excellent choice for consumers who are looking to buy a high quality, 3D Ready, Plasma TV at a reasonable price. Other 3D TVs that you might want to compare this with are the Samsung UN46C9000, Samsung UN55C8000 and the Samsung UN55C7000.
Source [http://www.best-3dtvs.com/panasonic-3d-tv-reviews/panasonic-tc-p50vt25-review/]
Highlights of the Panasonic TC-P50VT25 Review
Strengths
* Excellent picture quality with exceptional black levels, color fidelity and details
* THX Certification for excellent out of the box image quality
* Neo Plasma display panel technology enables true 1080 lines of moving resolution for video content
* Anti glare technology for comfortable viewing
* Industry leading 3D display performance. Smooth and flicker free 3D viewing without any ghosting or motion blur artifacts
* Ability to play 1080p 24fps 2D content (Blu-ray and some satellite programming) at 96Hz via 4:4 pull down for smooth, judder free viewing.
* Provides excellent value for money. Cheaper than high-end edge lit LED TVs while retaining a performance advantage when it comes to Picture quality and 3D display technology
Weaknesses
* Display is around 3.5 inches thick. Not as slim as Samsung’s edge-lit LED 3D TVs.
* Only one Panasonic 3D glass included with purchase. Additional active shutter glasses cost $150 a pop.
* Plasma panel is not as bright as LCD panels. This 3D images can seem a little dim at times.
* 3D is still a new technology. It might take another generation of displays to get over the initial teething issues with these televisions.
Picture Quality
Flatpanel Resolution
The TC-P50VT25 features a Neo Plasma Display Panel (Neo PDP) capable of displaying full 1080p content. An important feature of this Plasma TV is its ability to display true 1080p video content since these plasma panels are capable of displaying full 1080 lines of moving resolution. What this essentially means is that the ability of screen elements to refresh at a fast rate on the VT25 Plasma TVs prevents any loss of screen resolution even when displaying fast moving scenes wherein all the screen elements require continuous updating. In direct contrast, LCD display technologies are still limited by their longer hold times and screen refresh rates, as a result of which, even the latest LCD 3D TVs such as Samsung’s 9000 Series are only capable of displaying 800-900 lines of moving resolution. While this isn’t a huge difference, it is still important to note that the TC-P50VT25 provides full 1080p motion resolution.
Color Accuracy
The Panasonic TC-P50VT25 is a THX certified 3D TV just like all other models in the VT25 series. The THX certification implies that these Plasma panel TVs are in line with rigorous THX standards for picture quality and meet critical standards in areas such as uniform brightness, accurate colors and color gamut, low black levels, high contrast ratios and the ability to display full HD video content. For the consumers, the THX certification guarantees excellent out of the box image quality for the TC-P50VT25.
Black level and Contrast
The VT25 series features Panasonic’s ‘Infinite Black Pro’ displays that allow for an astonishing dynamic contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1. This new technology results in significant improvements in black levels and dark level details as compared to the VT10 Plasma TV panels from 2009. The ability of the TC-P50VT25 to render accurate colors, low black levels and high contrast ratios makes it one of the best television displays of 2010 with significant improvement in the display quality of both 2D and 3D content.
Backlight Uniformity
Unlike edge-lit LED 3D TVs, the Panasonic TC-P50VT25 does not suffer from any non uniformities in the display brightness across the screen. This of course is a fundamental advantage of Plasma technology over LCD technology as the former does not rely on any backlighting for the display of images, but instead relies on the phosphorescence of phosphors on the plasma screen – something that is far more uniform and well controlled.
Refresh Rate and Video Processing
Perhaps one of the strongest fortes of the TC-P50VT25 is its video processing capabilities and its ability to handle multiple sources of video content with differing frame rates without sacrificing the quality of the displayed content.
The VT25 series of Plasma panels incorporate Panasonic’s revolutionary short decay red and green phosphors that have 1/3 the decay rate of conventional red and green phosophors that are used in typical Plasma panels. What this means is that it drastically cuts down on any sort of ghosting and blurring due to the lower decay times of red and green phosphors, something that is an issue on conventional Plasma TVs.
The TC-P50VT25 features the ability to display 3D content at 120Hz (60Hz per eye) as well as display regular 2D content at 60Hz for smooth video playback. One should not confuse the 60Hz per eye for 3D content as being inferior to LCD 3D TVs that quote 120 or even 240Hz per eye for 3D content, as the technologies are fundamentally different. Without going into the details here, keep in mind that a good 120Hz plasma panel with 60Hz per eye will produce a better 3D image quality than a 240 or 480Hz LCD panel due to the faster response time of Plasma panels.
Another important feature of the VT25 Plasma panels is its ability to switch to a refresh rate of 96Hz (an integer multiple of 24fps) thus allowing for a 4:4 pull down of 24fps video content (all your blu-ray HD material and some satellite programming) which results in exceptionally smooth video display without the much abhorred judder that is commonly observed in most LCD and Plasma panel TVs.
Viewing Angle
Like all Plasma TVs, the TC-P50VT25 performs very well when it comes to viewing angles. Plasma HDTVs in general exhibit superior viewing angles to LCD HDTVs and the TC-P50VT25 is no exception. This superior viewing angle of the VT25 panels is also beneficial for viewing 3D content and will provide a more comfortable 3D viewing experience for viewers sitting off-axis from the TV.
Optimal Viewing Distance
The optimal viewing distance for this 50 inch 3D TV is approximately 6 to 8 feet. Be sure to read our guide on calculating the best viewing distance and screen size for your 3D TV. It will help you correctly choose the optimal TV screen size and viewing distance for your home.
3D Technology and Performance
This television features a number of technological innovations such as shorter decay red and green phosphors, and the elimination of the second front glass panel by bonding an anti-glare filter directly to the glass panel of the screen. A new panel scanning system and anti-blur circuitry helps minimize cross-talk and image ghosting on the TC-P50VT25.
High Speed Drive
Most Plasma TVs are only capable of displaying content at 60fps. However, to achieve smooth flicker-free 3D viewing, these displays need to display frame-sequential 3D content at 120fps so that each eye views the resulting video at 60fps. To achieve this enhanced frame rate of 120fps without sacrificing the resulting brightness of the output image, Panasonic has developed and intergrated a high speed drive technology into the Neo plasma display panels thus enabling fast frame rates without affecting the image brightness.
Crosstalk Reduction Technology
As mentioned earlier, the new fast decay red and green phosphors, along with advanced circuitry enable a 66% reduction in phosphorescence decay times thus reducing crosstalk and ghost images. This is a very important technological innovation for Plasma panels that help the VT25 deliver a superior, ultra-smooth 3D experience free of any ghosting or motion blur artifacts.
Media, Internet and other Connectivity
The TC-P50VT25 3D TV comes equipped with wireless and Ethernet connectivity. You can utilize a number of services such as Netflix, Amazon, Youtube, Twitter, Skype, Video on Demand and much more. This television also comes with one active shutter 3D glass, although additional glasses will cost $150 each. Skype allows for making video calls and videoconferencing using your 3D Plasma TV although you will need to purchase a separate Skype camera to use this feature.
This television comes equipped with a large number of ports as listed below:
4 HDMI ports, 2 USB 2.0 ports, a PCI input, and RS232C.
Price and Verdict
The Panasonic TC-P50VT25 features a number of novel technological innovations that enable fundamental improvements in the performance of this plasma panel over last years premium Plasma TVs. With improved black levels, color accuracy, glare reduction, screen refresh rates andenergy efficiency, this TV is a great choice even if you are only looking to upgrade to a better quality TV for 2D content. The 3D is almost a bonus, and it certainly does not disappoint. While there will surely be some teething issues with the first generation of 3D TVs, the Panasonic VT25 series appears to hold the lead over all its other competitors when it comes to 3D performance and 3D video quality. The plasma panel technology also means that this television will be significantly cheaper than some of the ultra-slim LED edge-lit 3D TVs being released by other manufacturers like Samsung. We at Best 3D TVs believe that the Panasonic TC-P50VT25 is an excellent choice for consumers who are looking to buy a high quality, 3D Ready, Plasma TV at a reasonable price. Other 3D TVs that you might want to compare this with are the Samsung UN46C9000, Samsung UN55C8000 and the Samsung UN55C7000.
Source [http://www.best-3dtvs.com/panasonic-3d-tv-reviews/panasonic-tc-p50vt25-review/]
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