Panasonic TC-P54V10 Review – Best TV of 2009

In this Panasonic TC-P54V10 review we are going to take a look at which is the best plasma TV of 2009 in the 54-inch size class. This review applies to both TC-P54V10 (54 inches) and TC-P50V10 (50 inches) because they are both part of the Panasonic V10 series. There are other size variants available as well, however they may be slightly different (not much though). Except for the Panasonic Z1, which will likely be sold only through specialist dealers, the TC-P54V10 is Panasonic’s top-of-the-line plasma TV. It’s at the top of its 2009 range, both for its exceptional image quality and its rich feature set. This is a high-end TV, so naturally you will have to pay a relatively high price for it.

What makes it the best HDTV of 2009?

The Pioneer Kuro Elite models have been and continue to be the best HDTVs of all time. However, they are now discontinued because Pioneer no longer makes televisions. The gap left open by Pioneer’s license will now be filled by Panasonic and Samsung, both with exceptionally good plasma TVs in their high-end series. LG is also present in the plasma TV market, however no one seems to have reviewed its 2009 models. Although Samsung came up with visible improvements to its plasma TVs this year, especially in the black level department, Samsung is still Visibly superior. The TC-P54V10’s black levels are simply fantastic. Although they can’t beat those seen on Pioneer Elite models, they come close to and are visibly better than the black levels of any other HDTV out there. With deep blacks and excellent shadow detail, the image from a TC-P54V10 is realistic. Combined with the accurate colors offered by the THX mode, the result is excellent. A delight for the beholder’s eyes.

From Viera Cast to Picture Control

Naturally, as you would expect from any expensive high-end HDTV, the Panasonic TC-P54V10 has a very rich feature set. Although LG’s PS80 series comes with a built-in hard drive and NetFlix support, making it the most feature-packed model out there, the feature set present in the Panasonic TC-P54V10 is not small either. You get the old services that Viera Cast offered since 2008 (weather, stocks, news, etc.) and also, from this year you have access to Amazon Video on Demand (VoD). Aside from these “exotic” features, you have access to an extensive set of picture controls. Considering that while color accuracy is good in THX mode, one may complain about its default settings in other modes, the rich set of picture and color controls will come in handy when calibrating the TV in modes other than THX.