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Panasonic TC-PS1 series photos

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March 11, 2009 12:58 PM PDT

By: David Katzmaier

Panasonic TC-PS1 series overview

For HDTV shoppers who recognize that burn-in and product lifespan, two bugaboos that have plagued the public perception of plasma TVs since their introduction, are largely not worth worrying about today, one potential hurdle on the path to plasma remains: power consumption. Plasma has always used significantly more power than LCD. Panasonic aims to narrow that gap with a new plasma display panel it calls, naturally, Neo PDP. The least expensive of the company's numerous 2009 plasma models to boast the new panel is the TC-PS1 series.

In our testing, we found that the S1 series model does indeed suck less juice than before. Its picture quality is also very good, starting with deep black levels that nearly rival the all-time champ in that department, Pioneer's Kuro models. Picture quality nitpicks include less-than-accurate color, which thanks to the company's minimal user-menu controls, cannot be adjusted. Despite these issues, we found a lot to like about the TC-PS1 series, not the least of which is its appealing price point.

Series note: The 2009 Panasonic TC-PS1 series is available in six screen sizes. We performed a hands-on evaluation of the 42-inch model, TC-P42S1 ($1,199 street), but our remarks on picture quality also apply to at least two other models in the series, the 46-inch TC-P46S1 ($1,499) and the 50-inch TC-P50S1 ($1,799)--all three share identical specifications but for screen size.

Photo credit: CNET

Back to Panasonic TC-P42S1 review