Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT20

Value Comparison

The Sony KDL-46EX700 is going to be a cheaper television because it’s not a 3D model and it’s slightly smaller. If you don’t need those extras, the Sony is a really good television. The Panasonic is the cutting edge of technology, which is both exhilarating and dangerous to buy into on a first-generation product. In the Sony’s favor, however, is the outstanding streaming content feature set, which absolutely and completely trumps the Panasonic content packages (at least at the time of this publication date).

Core Attributes Comparison
	Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT20	Sony Bravia KDL-46EX700
Size	50 in.	46 in.
General Type	Plasma	LCD
Format	1080p	1080p

Blacks & Whites

The Sony KDL-46EX700, as an LCD television, can never hope to match the black levels of a decent plasma TV like the Panasonic TC-P50VT20. But for an LCD, the Sony was not too bad. Conversely, the Sony was far superior in its peak brightness test. Overall, the Sony had a wider contrast ratio because of this advantage.

Color Accuracy

The Sony scored better in the color temperature test, shifting very little as we make our way through the intensity range. In the RGB test, the Sony, with its bright backlighting, produced more highlight detail. The Panasonic, on the other hand, has better shadow detail. Take your pick.

Color Temperature Comparison
Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT20 (Score: 7.81)
Sony Bravia KDL-46EX700 (Score: 9.94)

RGB Comparison
Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT20 (Score: 7.7)
Sony Bravia KDL-46EX700 (Score: 8.12)

Motion

The motion performance of the Panasonic TC-P50VT20 and the Sony KDL-46EX700 are pretty evenly matched. They’re both great televisions in this regard, so you can purchase without fear (at least in terms of motion performance).

Motion Scores
	Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT20	Sony Bravia KDL-46EX700
Motion Score

Viewing Effects

The viewing angle on any plasma TV is going to be better than an LCD, as exemplified here. In fact, the Sony was particularly narrow. If you need to service a wide room, we recommend the Panasonic.

Viewing Angle Comparison
Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT20: 12.67	Sony Bravia KDL-46EX700: 5.5

Connectivity

The Sony KDL-46EX700 and Panasonic TC-P50VT20 are both generous with their selection of ports, and both excellent choices for home theaters with a lot of components. The Sony has one less composite AV, and no media card slot, as well as only a single USB port.

Connectivity Comparison
	Panasonic TC-P50VT20	Samsung UN55C7000	Sony KDL-46EX700	Panasonic TC-P50G10
HDMI	4	4	4	3
Component	2	1	2	2
Composite	2	1	1	2
S-Video	0	0	0	1
VGA	1	1	1	1
Analog Audio In	4	2	4	4
Digital Audio Out	1	1	1	1
Analog Audio Out	0	1	1	1
Ethernet	Yes	Yes	None	None
Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
USB	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Memory Card Types	SD/SDHC/SDXC/SDXC	None	None	None
DLNA	Yes	Yes	Unknown	No

Other Comparisons

The Panasonic TC-P50VT20 is a 3D television. The Sony KDL-46EX700 is not. There’s a difference for you. How much are you willing to pay for this luxury? Of course, you can feel free to get a TV with 3D and never use that feature, but when you do want to use it, you’ll need glasses for each viewer, and that can get expensive.