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Introduction
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01.Tour & Design
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02.Blacks & Whites
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03.Color Accuracy
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04.Motion
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05.Viewing Effects
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06.Calibration
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07.Remote Control
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08.Connectivity
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09.Audio & Menus
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10.Formats & Media
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11.Power Consumption
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12.Vs Panasonic TCP42S1
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13.Vs Samsung LN40B610
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14.Vs Sony KDL40W5100
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15.Conclusion
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16.Series Comparison
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17.Ratings & Specs
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18.Comments
VIZIO VL420M
Previous: Page 11
Power ConsumptionNext: Page 13
Vs Samsung LN40B610
Panasonic TC-P42S1 Summary
• Both displays are equalliy priced
• The Panasonic is a plasma with better blacks, but the Vizio has brighter whites
• The Vizio has superior motion performance
Value Comparison Summary
Both displays are about the same price: less than $800. They both represent good value for money: both are 1080p screens that can handle any current HD signal.
| Comparison Specifications | ||
 |
 |
|
| Vizio VL420M | Panasonic TC-P42S1 | |
| Size | 42' | 42' |
| Price | $799 | $749 |
| Type | LCD | Plasma |
| Format | 1080p | 1080p |
| Other | USB Port | None |
Blacks & Whites
The Panasonic has the edge here; the blacks were much deeper and the contrast range between the black and the white was much whiter. But the Vizio has much brighter whites, which could be a very significant point if you watch TV in daylight or want to use the display as an office noticeboard.
| Blacks & Whites Comparison Chart | |
 |
|
| Vizio VL420M Score: Black Level: 5.28 Peak Brightness: 8.38 Contrast: 5.77 |
Panasonic TC-P42S1 Score: Black Level: Score Peak Brightness: Score Contrast: Score |
Color Accuracy
Both displays had good performance in our tests on color, but the Panasonic had a slight edge, with more consistent whites and slightly smoother RGB curves.
| Color Temperature Comparison | |
 |
|
| Vizio VL420M Score: 6.72 | |
 |
|
| Panasonic TC-P42S1 Score: 10 | |
| RGB Comparison | |
   |
|
| Vizio VL420M Score: 7.27 | |
   |
|
| Panasonic TC-P42S1 Score: 7.61 | |
| Color Gamut Comparison | |
 |
|
| Vizio VL420M Score: 4.95 | |
 |
|
| Panasonic TC-P42S1 Score: 3.98 | |
Motion
Both displays also had decent performance when it came to motion; we saw smooth motion from both displays. However, we saw more problems with the panasonic; some objects had a faint trail behind them (particularly green objects), and sharp edges on fast-moving objects became broken and jagged as they moved across the screen. The Vizio did have similar issues, but they were significantly less pronounced.
| Motion Scores | ||
| Vizio VL420M | Panasonic TC-P42S1 | |
| Motion Smoothness | 6.88 | 7.75 |
| Motion Artifacting | 6.38 | 4.75 |
Viewing Effects
There is no competition when it comes to viewing angle: the Panasonic is the clear winner. It managed to mentain a high contrast ratio all the way out to 80 degrees off axis, while the Vizio could only manage about 17 degrees.
| Viewing Angle Comparison | |
 |
|
| Vizio VL420M Score: 3.83 | Panasonic TC-P42S1 Score: 11.73 |
Connectivity
The Vizio has a wider range and number of ports, including more HDMI ports and a VGA port for connecting a computer to the display. The Panasonic has only three HDMI ports, and no VGA port, which means you would need to use a DVI to HDMI adapter to connect a computer with a DVI port, and you could not connect a computer with just a VGA output port.
| Connectivity Comparison | ||
| Vizio VL420M | Panasonic TC-P42S1 | |
| HDMI | 4 | 3 |
| Component | 2 | 2 |
| Composite | 2 | 2 |
| S-Video | 1 | 1 |
| VGA | 1 | 0 |
| Analog Audio In | 3 | 4 |
| Digital Audio Out | 1 | 1 |
| Analog Audio Out | 1 | 0 |
| LAN | 0 | 0 |
| USB | 1 | 0 |
| Memory Card | 0 | 0 |
| Other | None | None |
Other Comparisons
The other ace the Vizio has up its sleeve is the support for playing back photos, music and videos from a USB drive. However, given that the features to manage these files are rather minimal, it is not much of an ace. More of a jack of clubs that is suitable for showing holiday snaps.
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