Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT20

Black Level (10.61)

We measured the Panasonic TC-P50VT20’s black level at 0.03 candelas per square meter (cd/m²). This is an excellent black level. Our benchmark for a great black level is 0.1 cd/m², and this is three times as dark.

The one issue we saw, however, was the TV featured an automatic dimming feature that can’t be turned off. We’re really not fans of auto-dims, since it sacrifices some details in bright areas and can be distracting if a scene is hovering around the dim threashold. We’re not sure why manufacturers insist on including this feature without a way to turn it off. More on how we test black level.

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Peak Brightness (2.19)

We measured the TV’s peak brightness at 51.42 cd/m². This is really dim, but not out of line for a plasma. Due to the display technology, plasmas simply can’t draw enough power to maintain a decent bright level during bright scenes. More on how we test peak brightness.

Contrast (6.93)

Unfortunately, the inability to produce a bright white really hurt the TC-P50VT20’s contrast ratio. We measured it at 1714:1, which is significantly lower than what we’d consider a good contrast ratio. Since our eyes are based on contrast, you might notice the fine details on the TC-P50VT20 aren’t as defined as they should be. More on how we test contrast.

Tunnel Contrast (0.00)

On our tunnel contrast test, we test to see if the black level remains consistent, regardless of how much black is on the screen. Overall, the Panasonic TC-P50VT20 had a pretty even black level. The one caveat is the auto-dim feature, which activates when most of the screen is black. More on how we test tunnel contrast.

White Falloff (9.39)

Plasmas typically have issues maintaining a peak brightness, since it draws so much energy. Fortunately, the TC-P50VT20 doesn’t output much light at it’s most intense white, so there isn’t much to dim. More on how we test white falloff.

Uniformity (7.50)

The Panasonic’s screen was pretty uniform overall: all-black and all-white screens were pretty smooth. The one issue we saw that might crop up is burn-in. Granted, we haven’t had the TV for the recommended hundreds of hours that some suggest are necessary to properly mitigate screen burn, but we were surprised at the degree to which the TV retained an image. We will update this later once we’ve let the screen settle a bit more. More on how we test white falloff.

Greyscale Gamma (9.06)

We measured the slope of the greyscale gamma at 2.36, which is slightly aggressive, but not something anyone would notice. As you can see in the curve below, the line is flat and even, which means a nice, gradated transition from white to black to grey. More on how we test greyscale gamma.

Other Models in the TC-PxxVT25 Series
For more information on other models in this series, check our Series Comparison Page.
Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT25 50 in.	Panasonic Viera TC-P54VT25 54 in.	Panasonic Viera TC-P58VT25 58 in.	Panasonic TC-P65VT25 65 in.