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

Models of the same series usually sport a similar design and like the other S1 models, the TC-P50S1 comes with a sleek, glossy black frame – a frame accentuated by rounded edges and interrupted only by two logos, an indicator light and the power button, which actually blend in nicely. It also has a glossy black stand. It is set apart by one added feature, though – hidden speakers, which also result in a slightly better sound.

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 Efficiency

As mentioned earlier, the TC-P50S1 does not consume as much electricity as most Plasma TVs, which consume around two times the electricity used up by LCD televisions. This is because it has an innovative plasma display panel and a default picture setting that is slightly dimmer than others. Because of this, the Panasonic TC-P50S1 earned an Energy Star 3.0.

Other Features

Another great feature of the TC-P50S1 is something called the Viera Link, which allows you to turn all your HDMI-capable devices on, all at the same time. Imagine your Blu-Ray player and surround sound speakers turning on with just the press of a button so you don’t have to leave your seat. As mentioned earlier, the Panasonic TC-P50S1 also has features to prevent and treat screen burn-in, which means you won’t have to worry about static images sticking to your screen. You can just sit back and enjoy all that the Panasonic TC-P50S1 has to offer – which, with its relatively low price, is definitely more than what it’s worth.

Edward McKellen is an HDTV expert who writes lcd reviews for HDTVreviewlab.com. To read more about the Panasonic TC-P50S1 review or check out the latest Samsung HDTV reviews visit HDTVreviewlab.com

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