Panasonic VIERA TCP50G25 50Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Panasonic's 50-inch VIERA TC-P50G25 Plasma HDTV features a new panel with NeoPDP technologies that provide the best balance of black and white under brighter environments while also offering higher energy efficiency. The new NeoPDP Plasma panel also further reduces reflections and creates sharper pictures with higher contrast in brighter environments. This G25 series model provides 1080p resolution, full-time 1080 TV lines of moving picture resolution, and 600Hz Sub-field Drive for superb motion clarity.
Amazon.com Product Description
Building on its award-winning 2009 Plasma line, Panasonic's 50-inch VIERA TC-P50G25 Plasma HDTV features a new panel with NeoPDP technologies that provide the best balance of black and white under brighter environments while also offering higher energy efficiency. The new NeoPDP Plasma panel also further reduces reflections and creates sharper pictures with higher contrast in brighter environments. This G25 series model provides 1080p resolution, full-time 1080 TV lines of moving picture resolution, and 600Hz Sub-field Drive for superb motion clarity.
This and other models in the G25 line offer Panasonic's improved VIERA Cast functionality, which enables you to stream Internet video and audio programming as well as turn this HDTV into a high-definition, wireless video conference center with Skype capabilities (when using the optional Panasonic communication camera and Wi-Fi adapter accessories). You can also play back JPEG images and AVCHD videos stored on SD memory cards and operate a variety of VIERA Link components--from Blu-ray Disc players to digital cameras--through a single remote.
Adhering to Panasonic's commitment to the environment, this VIERA model--as well as all 2010 models--features improved power consumption and meets the new, more stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements. And you'll get a long Plasma panel life of up to 100,000 hours--more than 30 years of viewing when watched 8 hours a day--before the brightness of the panel decreases to half.
Key Features
Panasonic's VIERA G25 series Plasma HDTV with streaming content from VIERA Cast partners.
VIERA Cast: Enjoy a variety of streaming movies, TV shows, and music, photo slideshows, and home video conferencing with VIERA Cast's assortment of online content--including Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, Pandora, Twitter, YouTube, and Picasa. VIERA Cast's addition of Skype (requires optional communication camera; model TY-CC10) enables you to connect and communicate through voice and video calls from the comfort of your own living room.
This VIERA HDTV includes two USB ports for connecting a keyboard or a Wi-FI LAN adapter (sold separately) as well as an Ethernet port for wired LAN connection. No PC required.
VIERA Image Viewer: View full-HD images with the integrated SD card slot, enabling you to view JPEG photos and AVCHD videos captured from your digital camera or camcorder on the big screen. Navigate your images via an easy-to-use thumbnail display, and choose from among five types of background music and five display effects. Plus, messages and memos can be added to photos from a PC to create detailed travelogues and original slideshows with messages.
VIERA Link: Allows the interlinked operation of various AV devices--from DVD and Blu-ray Disc players to home theater sound systems to digital cameras and camcorders--using only the VIERA remote control by simply connecting the devices to each other by an HDMI cable (see pop-up illustration).
Game Mode: With Game Mode, quicker image response increases the enjoyment of video games when a game console is connected to the TV. What's more, VIERA produces the dark images in video games more clearly. This mode works with the anti-image retention (wobbling) function, too.
NeoPDP: By redesigning the Plasma panel's cell structure and developing an innovative new filter, Panasonic has tripled the luminous efficiency (compared to 2007 models) of its VIERA Plasma HDTVS--resulting in stunningly beautiful images while also reducing power consumption.
1080 Moving Picture Resolution: With 1080 lines of moving picture resolution and integrated NeoPDP technology's high-speed drive performance, the display time for each image frame is shortened to minimize afterimages, making decisive calls in football matches and delicate motions in figure skating performances appear crystal clear.
600Hz Sub-field Drive: 600Hz technology lets you view superb full-HD motion and still images with 1080 lines of resolution. For even greater clarity with motion images, Panasonic uses its own unique image-analysis technology, which converts the motion in each scene into data. And each frame is practically displayed for a shorter length of time than in previous systems, to reduce aftereffects (see an illustration of 600Hz technology).
Infinite Black: The luminous efficiency of this NeoPDP Plasma panel has been improved by reducing the electrical pre-discharge that causes graying has greatly enhanced black gradation. The result is crisp blacks with no graying--even in living rooms with bright, afternoon lighting. And minimizing the electrical pre-discharge helps to both raise contrast and save energy.
THX Certified Display: THX reproduces film images as the filmmakers intended them. To receive THX certification, TVs undergo stringent tests to determine, for example, whether the exact same brightness and color are displayed at all screen locations, and whether black levels satisfy standard criteria.
Key Specifications
Series: G25
Screen type: Plasma
Screen size: 50 inches
Native resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
Contrast ratio: Infinite Black with 5,000,000:1 native/dynamic contrast
Shades of gradation: 6,144 equivalent
HDTV display capability: 1080p, 1080i, 720p
EDTV display capability: 480p
Speakers: 2 full range, 20W total power; surround sound capabilities
Image viewer: AVCHD, MPEG2, JPEG compatibility
Aspect control: Normal, Zoom, Full, Just, H-fill for TV/AV modes 4:3, Full for PC mode
Optional wall-mounting bracket: TY-WK4P1RW
Multi-lingual menu: English/Spanish/French
Energy Star qualified: Yes
Connections
HDMI: 3 (1 side)
Component (Y, PB, PR): 2; each with audio input
Composite A/V: 2 (1 side); each with audio input
Ethernet: 1
USB: 2
PC input (15-pin, D-Sub): 1
Digital audio output: 1
Dimensions
TV with stand: 48 x 31.9 x 13.2 inches (WxHxD); 63.9 pounds
TV without stand: 48 x 30.3 x 3.5 inches (WxHxD); 57.3 pounds
What size TV should you get?
What's in the Box
Panasonic G25 series Plasma HDTV, removable stand, remote control (with batteries), operating instructions
This and other models in the G25 line offer Panasonic's improved VIERA Cast functionality, which enables you to stream Internet video and audio programming as well as turn this HDTV into a high-definition, wireless video conference center with Skype capabilities (when using the optional Panasonic communication camera and Wi-Fi adapter accessories). You can also play back JPEG images and AVCHD videos stored on SD memory cards and operate a variety of VIERA Link components--from Blu-ray Disc players to digital cameras--through a single remote. 
