Panasonic TX-P42VT20B Review
http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/panasonic-tx-p42vt20b-tx-p42vt20-20101110913.htm
It’s also worth noting that the “THX” viewing mode on the Panasonic TX-P42VT20B is unique in that it has the highest light output of all three accurate picture modes (the other two being the two “Professional” modes): 100% white from the THX mode measured at around 130 cd/m2. By comparison, the Professional modes on the Panasonic TX-P42VT20B, by default, only go as high as 85 cd/m2, which may be too dark for some viewing environments. We did manage to raise the light output to nearly 100 cd/m2 by raising the [Contrast] control, although some minor clipping to bright tones was the trade-off (although these bright tones were above the range normally used for encoding video content, meaning it wasn’t really an issue).
Console Gaming
The Panasonic TX-P42VT20B’s video processor adds a delay of 47ms between user input and actual video display, regardless of whether the HDTV is in its “Game” or “Professional” picture modes. This is an alarmingly high amount of input lag from a brand that has traditionally produced very fast screens. (When comparing this figure to those reported elsewhere on the web, please remember that this measurement is taken against an entirely lag-free CRT monitor, making it a direct comparison).
Benchmark Test Results
Dead pixels None
Screen uniformity Perfect
Overscanning on HDMI 0% with [16:9 Overscan] set to “Off“
Blacker than black Passed
Calibrated black level 0.013 cd/m2
Black level retention Occasional subtle “floating blacks”
Primary chromaticity Excellent
Scaling Excellent
Video mode deinterlacing Very effective jaggies reduction
Film mode deinterlacing Failed 3:2/ 2:2 cadences in all resolutions
Viewing angle Excellent (> 150°)
Motion resolution 1080
Digital noise reduction [P-NR] is a spatial filter, very little effect
Sharpness Defeatable edge enhancement
Image retention Virtually none in 2D, some in 3D
Posterization Mild, though worse with poor source
Phosphor trails Yes (reduced from 2D-only models); severity depends on individual susceptibility
1080p/24 capability No judder (2D), No judder with “3D 24p Film Display” on (3D)
Input lag 47ms (2D), 16ms (3D) slower than a lag-free CRT
Full 4:4:4 reproduction No (2D), Yes (3D)
Power Consumption
Default [THX] mode (2D) 234 watts
Default [True Cinema] mode (3D) 220 watts
Calibrated [Professional1] mode (2D) 178 watts
Calibrated [Professional1] mode (3D) 256 watts
Standby 1 watt
Measurements taken with full 50% grey screen.