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Panasonic TC-P54Z1 Review
The Panasonic TC-P54Z1
With Pioneer’s Kuro line now out of the running, Panasonic has become the top manufacturer of Plasma HDTVs. The Panasonic TC-P54Z1 is one of its best models, although it is also one of the most expensive.
Design
The design of the TC-P54Z1 easily stand out for two reasons - first, because it is the slimmest Plasma HDTV available at only an inch deep, and second, because unlike the majority of HDTVs that have a glossy black frame, it sports a brushed silver metal bezel. It comes with a silver, round stand and matching, detachable speakers while a glimpse of its wireless tuner can be caught on the left side.
Its clicker is also more attractive and fully backlit, with RF capability and a glossy finish, while its yellow-on-blue interface remains straightforward in spite of the addition of a few icons.
Screen/Picture Clarity
While its black levels are not as inky as the Kuro, they are still impressively deep. They are certainly deep enough to make the overall image details sharper and the rest of the colors appear more vivid, although you might have to sacrifice a bit of the color saturation for color temperature accuracy. It makes up for this with its outstanding performance in bright environments, outdoing most Plasmas by keeping reflections to a minimum and preserving the stunning picture quality.
Like the V10 models, the TC-P54Z1 also has a 96Hz mode for properly handling 24p content, while processing other types of sources is not a problem.
Features
To justify its price tag, the Panasonic TC-P54Z1 comes with an extensive list of features, led by its wireless transmitter, which allows it to receive HD signals wirelessly. It also has a THX mode for reproducing the movie theater experience, Viera Cast, Panasonic’s interactive suite which now allows access to Amazon Video-on-Demand and in the future, Netflix; and various picture adjustments. It also has features to prevent burn-in and cut down energy consumption and for connectivity, provides four HDMI inputs, a PC input, two component-video inputs and an SD card slot - all located on its external, wireless tuner box.
All these provide enough temptation for consumers to consider the Panasonic TC-P54Z1, even in spite of its high cost. Indeed, while those who don’t want to spend too much on an HDTV will find many great alternatives, this Viera has enough excellent points to make those who can afford it forget about any other option.
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This is my first plasma HDTV purchase. The picture quality is fantastic. This is a NeoPDP panel (single pane of glass)
The panel thinness is still amazing to me. A screen this big and this thin looks crazy.
The sound is surprisingly good… the included speakers are also extremely thin. Not huge bass, but still very good for TV speakers.
The wireless feature is nice… especially for those who want a wall mount installation. You still have the option to use an HDMI cable from the separate tuner to the panel, if you like. I am using wireless, but on a stand. The stand has glass shelves. I have the tuner component on a lower shelf. Line of sight between transmitter and receiver, for the wireless, seems critical. This may be since I have the receiver almost directly over the transmitter.
The Viera Cast is nice, except I haven’t been able to get the Amazon-On-Demand to play anything. It logs in and I can access content… nothing plays. I have contacted both Panasonic and Amazon… twice and have not received a comment from either. You Tube, Picassa, Weather Channel and Bloomberg all work well. Viera Cast could be a very nice feature if they can add more content… Vudu, Hulu, Netflix, etc. would be nice.
The THX picture setting option has a yellowish hue… this seems to be inherent in the THX settings that Panasonic is using.
Pros
Picture quality
THIN screen
Cons
Price (although I did get this well below MSRP)
Amazon-On-Demand doesn’t play
2/4/10
I contacted Panasonic about the inability to stream Amazon VOD content. They were able to replicate the same problem on a TC-P54Z1 at their facility. Panasonic kept me posted via e-mail about their progress with this issue. A few days later, Panasonic tech support issued a firmware update that corrected the problem. Amazon VOD content now streams through Viera Cast. Very good customer support!
Great picture, but there’s a potential problem depending on your application.
This is the 3rd Panasonic Plasma TV I have purchased (first two were great) so I expected a similar user interface. I guess I should have read the fine print. Instead of the infrared controller that works directly with the TV monitor there is a wireless remote control that communicates with a separate tuner. The tuner is the size of a DVD player. The only way to operate and control the TV monitor is with the tuner plugged in. If you try to connect a DVD player or receiver directly to the TV you get an error message, “No Tuner !”. The remote only works with the tuner connected. Through trial I found that a Panasonic will work directly with the unit but there is no remote control and no way to adjust the picture.
There is a wireless option where the tuner will transmit the signals to a receiver on the TV. Unfornunately like all wireless connections the result is not very hi-fi and the link can pick up interferrence and cause interferrence with other electronics. Plus, it doesn’t work through walls.
If you have a separate room/closet to house your electronics then obviously the tuner will have to housed there. Now you have the problem (as I encountered) that the wireless remote doesn’t work (same problem as with the wireless link).
The outrigger speakers have poor sound quality and look funky. 54″ Plasma 1080P
If you are able to locate the tuner near the TV, don’t mind the extra cables and are not planning to use a high end receiver (separate amp and speakers), then no major problems. Mounting the unit on the wall means cables hanging down the wall.
Panasonic have made a major error by not providing a standard interface option.
If you are looking for a plasma monitor for your high end home theatre, then this unit is not for you.