Panasonic TC-P60GT50 Review

60" 3D Plasma HDTV, Infinite Black Pro, Viera Connect Smart TV

by Jack Burden, Reviewer

Picture and Viewing Feaures

The TC-P60GT50 has the Infinite Black Pro panel that is Panasonic's best for 2012. This is a big step up from lower end plasmas from Panasonic due to the much better signal processing. Black levels are about 50% better than lesser models with the extra fine processing of the sub pixel controller which controls the sub pixels red, green, blue inside each individual pixel cell.

3D Performance

We found the active 3D in the TC-P60GT50 to be very impressive, colors popped, the picture was clear and images appeared to be both in front of the screen and far back in it providing for a very immersive viewing experience. The TC-P60GT50 provides full 1080p 3D to each eye and there are no adverse effects from crosstalk, blurring in the corners, or flicker from the glasses that we could detect on this TV. We're very impressed by the performance with multiple movies and 3D content.

Black Level And Contrast

Black levels in the TC-P60GT50 are nicely saturated though not the best we've experienced. They are a good 50% deeper than the Panasonic models without the Infinite Black Pro panel. However, dark shadow detail is major a strong point of this TV. There are many advancements in this panel and the TVs that have it over ones with just the Infinite Black panel including better sub pixel control for better rendering of color and images and the louvered light filter to prevent glare from the clear coat screen.

This shot of the GT50 Series Plasma from Panasonic shows breathtaking clarity, depth and contrast - a reflection of the screens Infinite Black Pro panel

The GT50 has great dark shadow detail owing to the Infinite Black Pro panel and plasma technology which has always been strong in this area.

Side Angle Viewing

Plasma is a technology where you expect great side angle viewing and the GT50 delivers. The new Infinite Black Pro panel has a special Louvered Screen panel element to it that absorbs light without allowing it to escape. This not only helps with energy consumption but it also keeps any reflections from ambient room light off the screen. In the past reflections off of the clear coat panels such as plasma TVs has been a problem but Panasonic has gone a long way to completely solving the issue with this new technology. It's really amazing when you see it in action.

THX Certification

The The TC-P60GT50 is THX certified in both 2D and 3D. While we are usually not impressed by the THX picture settings that accompany the TV it does let you know that this TV has some strict quality standards.

Internet Applications and Connectivity

Viera Connect is Panasonic's online suite and it sees a significant expansion in 2012. In addition to the standard apps like Netflix, Hulu, Facebook and Twitter Panasonic has partnered with social media network MySpace and its thousands of licensed music artists for MySpace TV, a new feature that is exclusive to Panasonic televisions. Panasonic is also partnering with Disney for a Disney app and they have added a full web browser to the Viera Connect suite in 2012.

Cloud Based Storage

Viera Connect is now based on a cloud architecture to provide access to limitless apps with faster connection speeds and faster downloads of content. Apps and content are not stored in your TV's memory, they are stored on the Viera Connect Cloud.

Sound Quality

The GT50 follows last years GT30 with very good sound quality. This is much overlooked feature in TVs because when you are shopping it at a store you cannot hear the quality of the sound from the TV. However, it's very important if you plan to use the TVs inbuilt speakers. The built in Surround Sound option on this TV is pretty good as well without muting voice quality so we recommend it. One of the best traits of TV sound is that background noise does not cover up voice clarity, and this is the case with this TV.

The best series of plasma and LED TVs from Panasonic such as the TC-P65GT50 have the new 3D Real Sound which contains 8-Train Speakers. We were very impressed with the sound quality performance of these new speakers which make the sound seem as if it is eminating from the center of the screen rather than the bottom where the speakers are located. It's a great trick.