Panasonic's High-Value High-Def TV

It may not have all the inputs and settings of higher-priced models, but the 50-in. plasma 50PZ77U delivers excellent color for a reasonable price

by Cliff Edwards

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Rich, deep colors that deliver a full high-definition picture; good up-conversion of analog signals

The Bad: Only two HD multimedia inputs; color washes out in bright lights

The Bottom Line: An HDTV that delivers impressive pictures at a more affordable price

Reader Reviews

As king of the plasma TV market, Panasonic has plenty to prove these days. Faced with an onslaught of competition from the rival LCD (liquid-crystal display) camp, Panasonic executives have been working hard to dispel any claims their products are somehow inferior to the best LCD offerings.

I find little reason to argue with them after reviewing the company's recently released 50PZ77U model. The 50-in. plasma offers full high-definition 1080 progressive resolution, and does an impressive all-around job of producing rich, colorful imagery from both HD and standard-definition programming.

Better yet, the all-black set is one of the best deals on the market right now, selling for about $2,000 through online merchants—up to $1,000 less than many LCD sets of the same screen size and HD resolution.

The Input Tradeoff

To get to that price, there are tradeoffs. Many LCD sets now feature as many as four HD multimedia inputs that process uncompressed audio and video through a single cable for high-definition DVDs, cable, or satellite boxes and other home theater equipment. The 50PZ77U offers only two HDMI inputs. Another bummer for some multimedia enthusiasts will be Panasonic's omission of an input for linking a computer directly to the TV.

This TV's looks also don't stand out in a crowd. Like many others on the market today, it has a thin glossy black bezel framing the screen- and side-mounted speakers that add about an inch to each side. Panasonic's Viera brand name is engraved on the top left, while an Energy Star compliance tag on the bottom left aims to dispel the notion that plasma TVs consume more energy than LCDs (tag or not, they still do).

Despite these shortcomings, many people will be perfectly happy with what the 50PZ77U does offer. As on all Panasonic sets, there's a slot for an SD memory card from a camera to view digital photos directly on the TV using the remote control. There are also two component HD inputs, which perform the same function as HDMI albeit with separate cables for audio and video; three composite video inputs for VCRs and older set-top boxes; two S-Video connectors for older non-HD equipment; and digital and analog audio output jacks to connect speakers.

Pixel Shifter Technology

Panasonic also ups the ante with a better antiglare coating than on the company's previous midrange models, but not quite as good as the antireflective screens found on very high-end Panasonic sets. In most cases, this antiglare worked pretty well. But when I decided to watch the movie Air Force One recently in a sunlit room at home, I was distracted by the noticeable glare. (Panasonic's 2008 models due later this year promise to make substantial improvements in this regard.)

This TV introduces another notable technology called Pixel Shifter that subtly moves the image to prevent those ghostly afterimages that can plague plasma screens when the picture remains static for too long. Gamers in particular have had trying moments with plasma. I tested Pixel Shifter by leaving my PlayStation 3 media bar on screen for about 20 minutes, then shutting off the TV. I was happy to note there was no afterimage when I turned the set back on.

While Pioneer's Elite Kuro lineup of plasma TVs has become the standard-bearer for stunning color and black detail, Panasonic's 50PZ77U holds its own. Watching Planet Earth, the BBC documentary on a Pioneer Elite Blu-ray player and American Gangster on a Toshiba HD DVD player, I was impressed with the saturated color (greens and blues popping off the screen) and fairly deep black reproduction. This strong performance is key, as consumers rightly wonder whether they really need to spend hundreds extra for a full HD set rather than a good 720p-resolution model. If you're looking for a screen 50 in. or larger, you'll want full HD to capitalize on the finer detail provided by Blu-ray and HD DVD.

Great Bang for the Buck

Another factor that separates the better sets from their peers is how well they process standard-definition TV signals. In that regard, I found the Panasonic model to be one of the best I've seen. Anyone who has switched to high-definition content knows how hard it is to switch back to the grainy analog programming of yesteryear. Yet when I watched a few hours of Comcast's analog cable channels on TiVo's HD digital video recorder, the experience was pretty bearable. While an episode of Law & Order looked much crisper on USA's HD channel, the picture was far less grainy in standard definition on this Panasonic compared with other sets I've reviewed.

The 50PZ77U is clearly intended for a mainstream audience. The unit features only basic color adjustments and the typical "normal," "warm," and "cold" presets that many nonvideophiles won't even bother with. More advanced users who like to constantly tinker with their settings should look elsewhere.

In the end, this Panasonic set is all about bang for the buck. By offering a pretty decent feature set and excellent color detail at such a great price, Panasonic is sure to remain a top seller.

Edwards is a correspondent in BusinessWeek's Silicon Valley bureau.