The Viera TX-P50VT20 is Panasonic’s first 3D HDTV and it has entered the market in a low key manner, by just selling two 3D capable tellies. One is the model that we are reviewing right now at a screen size of 50 inches that costs around £2,200 and the second one is the bigger 65-inch TX-P65VT20, which costs twice the amount. Akin to its siblings (high-end, we mean) this VT20 from Panasonic also comes as no exception when it comes to packing a whole load o features like, FreeView HD Tuners, FreeSat HD and Viera Cast together with the skill of streaming video over the home network. Panasonic has also promised that the TX-P50VT20 will have untold black levels and super picture quality. So, let us see if this telly will justify the two grand dent in your savings.

Design:

Stylish, Sturdy and Reliable:
Guess Panasonic wanted to launch its very first 3D TV in all pomp and splendor with a plasma panel that is top of the range. Panasonic is very well known for its sturdy, reliable and well designed TVs. Panasonic has also played safe with the design aspects most of the time, but with the TX-P50VT20, the company has certainly come out of the box and made the 50” set to be very stylish and seems to suit any lounge.  This TX-P50VT20 3D TV boasts of a bronzy brown finish giving the TV a very sophisticated look and it actually is more appealing in the flesh than it sounds on paper.

Connectivity:

In terms of connectivity, this Viera TX-P50VT20 HDTV seems to have all important bases covered. The ball is all set to roll via the 4 HDMI ports and yes, as is expected of a 3D TV, all of these HDMIs are built to the new 3D compatible v1.4 specification. This TV exceeds expectations when it comes to multimedia too, packing not just one, but two USB inputs together with a SD card slot that aides in direct playback of music, photos and video files that includes DivX HD. By the way, we are just wondering why the WiFi abilities could not just have been built into the TV’s chassis.

User Interface:
As far as the user interface is concerned, a voyage through the P50VT20B is rather bland but probing the clear-cut onscreen menus unearth various interesting points. To begin with the accessibility for both the THX picture presets together with the 2 professional presets could be used for calibration by an expert from the ISF (Image Science Foundation).

Features:

As already mentioned, Panasonic has puffed up this Viera TX-P50VT20 3D Plasma TV with scores of cool features too. Meaning you managed to get full returns on your investment in a TV that boasts of a huge screen, together with high-end picture quality, not to mention the 3D feature.

HDD Video Recording:
Another connectivity related feature that is worth mentioning is video recording to HDD through the USB sockets. Similar to its siblings, the recording capabilities in this telly is also limited, in that, you are allowed to watch stuff that you recorded from a HD tuner only in the same set that you recorded it on. Also there are severe restrictions over what USB HDDs to be used; word has it that only Buffalo’s JustStore Desktop HD-EU2-UK series is compatible with it. Well, if it makes you feel any better, there seems to be absolutely no glitches in the quality of the recordings that you make and is simply excellent; in fact they kind of  outdo the original broadcasts.

3D glasses:
Sorry Panasonic, but your glasses are pretty much rubbish, especially when compared to the ones offered by Samsung, which were much more comfortable. On a positive note, people who are used to wearing normal glasses will prefer Panasonic’s to Samsung’s, as you will be able to wear your specs underneath them. We hope that the company will release some better glasses soon, because these ones are certainly not at all suited to prolonged use. This is something of concern because the Samsung 3D TV did not have this issue. Though this is not a catastrophe, it is simply irritating. We just thought what if the 3D glasses were synchronised through Bluetooth, but soon realised that that option will be very power thirsty.

THX Certified:
The P50VT20 3D Television from Panasonic is THX certified that essentially boils down to an optimized picture preset for movie viewing that takes care of overscan giving a pixel matching of 1:1. While this is ideal for playback of Blu-rays, it may present some problems when watching TV material as pulsing white image data, never intended to be seen, can become visible at the extreme edge of the frame. Still, correcting over scan is a must-have viewing option. Apparently, some plasma buzz was kind of evident based on the content and most of the time this gets masked by volume, but doesn’t really escape the eyes.

Performance:

Finally, we get to the moment of truth. Will this 50” 3D TV’s performance lives up to all of Panasonic’s relentless hype? And, for the record, the first thing to say about it is not positive.

Brightness:
The first 3D TV we tested was the Samsung UE46C7000 illuminated by LED edge lights, the screen was very bright indeed. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said as the case about the screens that make use plasma technology. To the extent that we adore plasma TVs, they kind of lack producing ample light as the LCDs do. Also there is this equation of 3D glasses reducing the brightness and colour of the telly’s images. And all this put together make plasmas not a preferred choice when it comes to 3D viewing than LCDs. That said, it has its share of positives too we guess; one distinct advantage of the plasma TVs is that, their response times are much quicker than those of the LCD TVS. And consequently, while the UE46C7000 endured ghosting issues, the P50VT20 is absolutely free of the same.

3D performance:
The 3D content on the TX-P50VT20 looked greatly subtle than the Samsung 3D TV. Though the images were not that dynamic, but the television still managed to produce some beautiful picture and some shockingly good 3D effects. Monsters Vs Aliens did not disappoint and the first scene with the bouncing ball was startling as ever. There was no ghosting display and this 3D TV also managed to deliver an impressive sensation of depth. The TX-P50VT20 3D TV sure does make an instantaneous and overwhelming first impression with its less crosstalk noise in comparison to Samsung’s 3D LED TV.

Warm-up Time:
The plasma TVs always have some 100 hours of warm up times, before the panel settles in looking at its best. For instance, glitches like colour smearing and image retention tend to be more severe during the first 100 hours of operation, so do not panic as soon as you switch on the TV. Having said that, the TX-P50VT20 blew us away straight away out of the box. The Freeview picture quality is good and the Freeview HD pictures look simply stunning, and the Blu-ray content in both 2D and 3D just knocked us sideways.

Impressive specs:
Though we generally do not get carried away by the contrast ratios quoted by manufacturers, we couldn’t help but feel impressed by the 5,000,000:1 native contrast ratio, without the dynamic contrast processing claimed by P50VT20’s infinite Black Pro Technology. While testing the Panasonic 3D TV’s HD performance, the detail was just second to none. And we actually could not believe that we were looking at a television screen at some points as it just looked like a high resolution photo and were drooling in delight. The black levels of the TV were simply excellent. Using the THX picture mode will yield you the best quality and some minor tweaking of some other settings might give you a hand too; but overall, this TV is pretty much ready to go out of the box. We can say for sure that this is one of the highest quality TVs in the current market and the 3D capability is just a welcome bonus and by no means is the whole story.

2D Performance:
The colours in 2D viewing are mind blowing too that combines levels of dynamism, tonal accuracy and blend subtleness that is never before seen on a plasma TV.

Additional Costs:
Here is something that you must be really aware of: the price tag of Panasonic Viera TX-P50VT20 is slightly higher than most of the high end 50” Plasma TVs, but there are some more hidden costs that you must be aware of. If you are investing on a 3D TV, you will probably want to watch 3D movies and that is possible only with subscribing to Sky 3D or investing on a Blu-ray player. Unfortunately, neither of the above options is going to offer you access to unlimited 3D content for the moment. Even if you decide on purchasing Panasonic’s very own Blu-ray player DMP-BDT 300, it will set you back by another £400. However, you can happy opt for Sony’s £180 BDP-S470 or Samsung’s £300 BD-C6900 instead. But, the DMP-BDT 300 sure does have a key benefit over its rivals: it has 2 HDMI outputs on offer. Well, it is not big deal, but it could be a boon for users with surround sound systems in enjoying lossless surround sound through the 2nd HDMI out. Again, this feature can prove to be extremely handy especially if your AV receiver is not 3D ready.

It is nice of Panasonic to have included two pairs of TY-EW3D 10 3D glasses with this 50” HDTV, but if you are planning on watching with family, then certainly you have to get some more. And the extra glasses cost around £100 each, which means, a further substantial investment before even you can all sit down to watch a 3D material together. So, with all this, most people will be looking at spending about £2500 in total if they decide on buying this TV.

Accessories:

The USB WiFi dongle is not the only key accessory that Panasonic has included in the packaging of Viera TX-P50VT20 3D TV. As we had mentioned above, there are also not one but two pairs of 3D shutter glasses. This is certainly an obvious act of generosity from the company, given that the EW3D10 glasses involved cost 100 quid apiece.

Warranty:

There is a one year limited warranty for parts and labour on this first 3D TV from Panasonic, the Viera TX-P50VT20 HDTV.

Verdict:

The Panasonic Viera TX-P50VT20 3D HDTV sure does deliver fairly impressive HD content in 3D together with being a terrific 2D TV. Aside from its price tag, there isn’t really many shortcoming to this TV. It is a shame that the 3D glasses are a bit comfortable. Overall, it is a brilliant TV with scores of features and is among the best picture qualities in the market. The Samsung UE55C8000 is a very good alternative, but given a choice, the TX-P50VT20 is a good pick.

Panasonic TX-P50VT20 3D Plasma TV – Technical Specification Table