Panasonic VIERA G10 Series Full HD Plasma HDTV Review

The Panasonic VIERA G10 Series includes the larger screen sizes inherent with plasma displays including the 54 inch TC-P54G10, 50 inch TC-P50G10, 46 inch TC-P46G10 and 42 inch TC-P42G10. Notable features include Full HD (1080p), VIERA CAST, a THX certified Display, VIERA Image Viewer, the energy use slashing NEO PDP display technology.

Panasonic VIERA G10 Plasma HDTV

The VIERA G10 Series has a high dynamic contrast ratio of 40,000:1 and the excellent black levels inherent with plasma displays. An important feature for movie buffs is the 24p playback capability which delivers smoother reproduction of film content. For simpler control of AV devices connected by HDMI with one remote, Panasonic have provided VIERA Link which is an implementation of the Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) standard.

Panasonic NeoPDP High Efficiency Displays

Panasonic’s new NeoPDP technology has delivered two benefits for its customers; an ultra-thin profile only 1/3 of 2007 models and a trebling of luminance efficiency for a reduction of power consumption to 1/3 of 2007 models for the same brightness.

As power consumption is a significant cost in comparison to purchase price it deserves suitable consideration in making a purchasing choice. As plasma HDTVs are commonly more power hungry than LCD HDTVs it opens the field of choice if energy consumption was an important factor in ones preference for an LCD HDTV.

For their new PDP technology Panasonic has employed newly developed materials, such as discharge gas and phosphor for electron generation source which have improved discharge efficiency and cell structure. The introduction of a new circuit drive method has cut the electricity loss to one third and enabled low-voltage drive. The triple luminance efficiency technology has reduced the number of components and enabled a higher integration of components.

Panasonic have been able to achieve the even thinner profile of new NeoPDP displays through advancements made to the panel structure and circuit layout. A reduced profile means more setup flexibility for options such as wall mounting and ceiling suspension.

One the advantages of plasma displays over LCD HDTVs has always been an order of magnitude faster response time. It’s worth noting that Panasonic have managed to improve on the advantage through a newly developed drive technology and materials to shorten the afterglow of cell illumination.

THX Certified Display

All Panasonic G10 series plasma HDTVs are THX certified which means they have been tested and satisfied a wide array of benchmark standards including contrast, color, de-interlacing and black levels to name only some. All THX Certified Displays feature THX Mode which optimizes the viewing experience by providing a single button calibrated video setting adjusting the display’s gamma, luminance, color temperature and other settings some of which may not even be accessible through on-screen menus.

VIERA CAST

An included feature which is line with the market trend of HDTVs becoming more like a media center, is VIERA CAST. Panasonic recently announced a collaborative relationship that added Amazon Video On Demand to the G10 and other 2009 Panasonic HDTVs. The collaboration allows customers (US only) to shop online then watch instantly their favorite movies and television shows from Amazon Video On Demand’s extensive collection of more than 40,000 titles. Users still have access to YouTube, Picasa Web Albums, Bloomberg News, a weather channel and additional sites as they are added to the service. The Ethernet interface for Internet access is built into the G10 and no external box or PC is required.

Panasonic VIERA CAST

Importantly, using the Your Video Library feature, customers can keep a virtual library of their purchases and re-watch them anywhere, including their VIERA TV, Panasonic Blu-ray player, or via the web on any PC or MAC. Amazon Video On Demand uses the advanced h.264 codec with an automatic bandwidth detection feature that seamlessly plays back the best quality file at either 300, 600, 900, or 1200 kbps. Customers can choose from thousands of movies to rent from $1.99 to $3.99, purchase from $9.99 to $14.99, or thousands of television shows to purchase for $1.99 per episode.

To allow multimedia files from portable AV devices to be displayed/played on a large HDTV, the Panasonic G10 models have an SD card slot built-in. To enhance the playback experience, Panasonic have provided 3 types of background music and 4 display effects.