Panasonic TC-P55ST30

When Panasonic set out to offer the most expansive plasma TV line of any manufacturer in 2011, the 3D-ready TC-P55ST30 is a perfect example of what they had in mind: world class picture and design at affordable prices. Up until recently, it would have been almost impossible to find a 55-inch full HD 1080p plasma TV for the small investment you can get away with today–certainly not one with the Panasonic brand on the front.

For 2011, Panasonic has produced a whopping 19 new models of plasma TV’s. Several of those are in new formats. The 55-inch size of the TC-P55ST30 is new, while the 54-inch and 58-inch dimensions from 2010 will be retired.

Panasonic TC-P55ST30

Screen

The Panasonic TC-P55ST30 features the very latest plasma technology. Short-throw phosphor technology is a good example. Panasonic has created the ability to return phosphors to an “off state” faster than a more traditional phosphor. This reduces or eliminates phosphor trails so common to poorly engineered plasma brands.

Want more evidence? Consider 600Hz Subfield Motion–a standard video signal is really a bunch of still images flashed rapidly on the screen. In North America that frame rate is 60 frames per second or 60Hz. Subfield drive flashes individual dots 10 or more times for each individual frame. That means the TC-P55ST30 gives you 600Hz of pixel-pumping power to give you the sharpest picture available for fast action sports, movies and games.

The TC-P55ST30 is full HD 1080p, one of twelve 1080p HD plasma offered this year (along with three 720p models). It was not too long ago that 1080p was tremendously more expensive. If you have been waiting for the right time to buy a large screen plasma, opportunity is knocking.

Gamers will love the deep, rich blacks as well as the magnificent sound. Bringing up the game “Asphalt Five” on the Viera Connect service, the sharpness of the picture and the clarity of even the craziest driving stunts was impressive. The TC-P55ST30 has a great graphics accelerator which helps with a game with this much action.

Another feature setting Panasonic apart is Infinite Black Panel Display, which adjusts luminosity while minimizing pre-discharge at the same time. You get deep blacks and a stunning contrast ratio. You could see this in action on the Asphalt Five game, for example when the cars zoomed into a cave or tunnel.

Live, fast-action sports also benefit from all this technical wizardry. Many sports move so fast a normal plasma TV has to take a second to catch its breath. The TC-P55ST30 had no problem with an NHL game we watched between the Montreal Canadians and the Chicago Black Hawks. You could see the puck with no lag trails or blur burns, even during fast slap shots in front of the net. We won’t mention how vivid the fights were. Ouch.

Cabinet

Somewhere along the line HDTV cabinets started to get more design flourishes than a bad episode of Project Runway. Fortunately, Panasonic avoided these temptations on the TC-P55ST30. It has a clean-edge design that is simple and elegant. It blends well into any decor, from casual to formal, and will be a welcome addition to any home.

The 55-inch screen does eliminate some of the smaller rooms in the house. Conversely, for viewing rooms that accommodate the larger profile, it delivers “big screen” impact that makes you happy to bring the gang over for the big game or a favorite movie.

Setup

The best companies think through the customer experience at all touch points. Panasonic ingeniously devised plastic flip clips that pop off the TC-P55ST30’s shipping carton, making removal easy. No more getting out the toolbox to remove banding strips and industrial staples. The last thing you want when you get a new TV delivered is to spend one hour removing it from the box.

If you opt for the swivel stand rather than a wall mount, note that it gives you 20 degrees of play in either direction, so most of the room should be able to see the picture clearly, even in severe off-angle patterns. The P55ST30 screen is designed to reduce glare from sunlight or bright room light.

Picture

Of course, the most important aspect of any TV is the quality of the picture. We connected a Panasonic DMP-BDT210 blu-ray player to the TC-P55ST30 to watch “Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia 3D”.

Patagonia is a region of Argentina. This documentary takes you through a history of the region and explains why it is so rich in dinosaur bones. The 3D imagery of the dinosaurs is impeccable. But the landscape is a major role and looks rugged and foreboding. The desert world of the dinosaurs envelops the viewer. Still, when the dinosaur sticks his head into the camera and it seems like it’s coming into the room, I did jump out of my seat!

The footage includes several night shots of the 3D landscape. The moon shone bright in the night sky and the P55ST30 faithfully reproduced the subtle shades of black that made the scenes so realistic.

Sound

As good as the dinosaur images are, hearing them is even better. The 5.1 lossless soundtrack booms through the speakers as the dinos pounded across the Patagonia desert. The TC-P55ST30 has two-channel 20-Watt stereo sound which pumps out nice even sound through the entire dynamic spectrum. Bass is full but not muddy; trebles are crisp without being tinny. Many customers will opt to send the sound to their home entertainment system. But the internal speakers represent themselves admirably.

Energy

One of the traditional knocks on plasma was the poor use of energy. Those days are long gone. The TC-P55ST30 is 25% more efficient than a similar model from last year, an amazing feat by Panasonic. In addition, it meets and exceeds Energy Star standards.

Additional Features and Connections

The unit has an internal SD card slot so you can take pictures, remove the SD card from the camera, and plug it right in to the TC-P55ST30 and enjoy photos (or videos) right away. Think how much fun it would be to see pictures from a graduation or birthday party immediately afterward.

Panasonic’s old Viera Cast has been renamed Viera Connect and new features have been added. You still get Skype, Netflix, and Pandora. This year pro sports such as Major League Baseball, Major League soccer, NBA basketball and NHL hockey have been bundled in. From the menu you can select live games. Or, scroll through the calendar and choose any game in the archive. Also available are complete team histories, stats, scores and standings.

This year Panasonic has included casual gaming as well as health and fitness applications to Viera Connect. One of the more popular apps is Fitness Armband which tracks your activity level as you just go through your day. By sending a constant wireless signal to the TC-P55ST30, it monitors the number of steps you take and subsequent calories burned.

Casual games included in the Viera Connect package include traditional favorites like chess and solitaire. You also get new games like Asphalt Five, the racing game we mentioned earlier. By the utilizing cloud computing in the TV, Panasonic has created very realistic gaming. You will not be able to tell the difference between games from the cloud or from your game system.

Conclusion

Panasonic’s product line for 2011 represents tremendous value in plasma TV’s never seen before. Once you get into the 55- inch screen size like the Panasonic TC-P55ST30, the effect is especially dramatic. Whether it is a dinosaur sticking his head into your living room, or the impact of football players colliding at high speed, this is the true definition of big-screen HDTV.

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