Pros
- Premier picture quality at a mid level price
- Deep blacks and rich colors you expect in a Plasma
- Built in Wi-Fi with easy to use Viera Cast apps
- 3D
Cons
- No DVI input, only 3 HDMI
- 3D performance lags behind the competition – glasses not included
- Not as sleek as LEDs
- Gloss screen may have trouble in brighter rooms
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The Geek’s Take
If picture quality is your paramount concern when buying a TV, plasma is the way to go and the TC-P55ST50 is your best option in this price range. At around $1200 at the time of this review, the TC-P55ST50 offers the deep blacks and vibrant colors of plasmas normally priced well over $2K. We have a few concerns about the 3D performance and the lack of a fourth HDMI input, but nothing that will stop us from naming this a Highly Rated selection.
Full Review
Picture Quality
As we mentioned in our HDTV buying guide, Plasmas are where its at if you’re looking for the absolute best picture possible and the TC-P55ST50 does its brethren proud. Every review we checked out heaped their praises on the TC-P55ST50’s picture quality. From CNET to PC Mag, their choice for best picture quality in this class was unanimously the TC-P55ST50.
What makes the TC-P55ST50 so crazy great? Blacks are inky deep, which makes all colors seem rich and lifelike and accurate with little adjustment out of the box. Off angle viewing is excellent as well, as is detail clarity when viewing quick moving images like sports. Not to drop a cliche on you, but the the TC-P55ST50 really is the next best thing to being there.
Design
A few years ago, plasmas got a bad rap for being the heaviest and the bulkiest of the HDTV options. While they may still be the thickest, the scale of
comparison is much different these days, especially compared to LEDs like our Editors’ Choice Vizio E601I-A3. The TC-P55ST50 shows just how far plasmas have come in the design department though. It’s thin, it’s bezels are small, and the acrylic edging gives it a nice upscale look. We do wish that the base swiveled, even just a little though.
One small knock we have on the TC-P55ST50 is the glossy screen. It’s a common feature of plasmas, but it is a glare magnet and detracts from the picture quality a little in brighter rooms. If you plan on using the TC-P55ST50 only in dimly lit situations, just ignore that last sentence.
Features
The TC-P55ST50 is plenty feature rich. A few of the add ons to go along with that stunning picture:
- 3D – yes it’s gimmicky and yes 3D content still isn’t quite where it should be, but it’s still a cool thing to show off to your friends. The TC-P55ST50 will even convert 2D images to 3D, although the result isn’t terribly impressive. We just wish the TC-P55ST50 at least came with one pair of glasses, instead of making them available for about $60 each.
- Panasonic Viera Connect – Panasonic’s App selection is one of the best around. You’ll find all of the apps you want – Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc – with a simple to use, easy to navigate interface
One minor negative we’ve found in the features department, the TC-P55ST50 only has 3 HDMI ports and no DVI for connecting a laptop. Will the ports be an issue for you? Probbaly not, unless you have a cable box, Blu ray player, and more than one other HDMI device like a gaming console, but we would like to see at least 4 ports at this price range, if just for peace of mind.
Value
Priced at just under $1,200 on Amazon at the time of this review (the cheapest we could find), it’s hard to deny the TC-P55ST50’s value. With this TV, you’re basically getting the quality and features of a flagship TV but at a mainstream price. Add in the fact that it’s one of the cheapest 3D options available, and you’ve got a nice little value package.
Summary
CNET raved over the TC-P55ST50, giving it their Editors’ Choice in the mainstream arena, purely for the picture quality. We see a few minor drawbacks that just keep it from getting the same award from us, but it’s still an easy choice for a Highly Rated selection from what we see from other reviewers and consumers too. This is your best option for a 3D TV without breaking the bank.
*Where does this rating come from? Check out How We Review
Editor’s Note: This review is specific to the 55″ Panasonic Viera ST50 model but this same feature set is available in 65″, 60″ and 50″ if you’re feeling crazy.