The plasma TVs in Pioneer's Kuro line get the lion's share of press buzz for their picture quality, but Panasonic is the name that I'll usually throw out when someone asks me for buying advice on a plasma set. Why? Because Panasonic models offer strong performance at a fraction of a Kuro's price. Also, each new generation of Panasonic plasmas I've reviewed has tended to be better than the last — the company's new TH-50PZ800U, for example.

The feature set of this 50-incher is similar to that of the last Panasonic TV I reviewed, the TH-50PZ700U. Along with a 1080p-rez display and a built-in HDTV tuner, it has Viera Link to control other components connected via HDMI, and a screen filter to reduce the effects of ambient room light on the picture. Features making their debut on this model are HDMI 1.3 connections with Deep Color and x.v.Color support and — drum roll, please — a THX picture-preset mode (more on that in a bit).

At first glance, the TH-50PZ800U looks a lot like last year's model. But when you get down to the details of comparing the two, there are several differences. Instead of having a screen surrounded by a thick plastic bezel, the new TV presents an all-glass face. A mouth-like protrusion at the screen's bottom contains the speakers, along with a flip-up panel hiding control buttons and a full-featured convenience input with HDMI, composite-, and S-video jacks, plus an SD card slot for viewing slide shows of digital pix.

The back panel features a generous array of inputs: three HDMI 1.3 and dual component-video connections, along with an RGB port for a PC. The remote control is similar to the ones Panasonic has issued with its sets for several years now. It's chunky enough that you won't mistake it for another device's remote, and although it lacks a backlit keypad, the buttons are large and clearly labeled. Switching inputs on the TV involves hitting the TV/Video button and scrolling through an onscreen list of options. Pressing the Format button lets you cycle through the aspect-ratio modes. For standard-def signals, there are the usual choices, including Full (16:9), 4:3, and Stretch and Zoom. Each option can also be selected for high-def programs.

SETUP

The THX picture preset is a fantastic new feature that makes it easy to set up the Panasonic TV. You simply select this mode, and the picture settings are instantly optimized for movie watching. Other TVs offer similar presets, usually with names like Movie, Cinema, or Pro. But the Panasonic's THX mode really delivers the goods, with natural-looking color, strong contrast, accurate gamma, and no edge enhancement. As with the TV's four other presets, each of the THX mode's picture settings can be adjusted. Its Custom preset can also be tweaked separately for each input, with the TV recalling your settings as you switch between sources.

Compared with some other TVs, the Panasonic has somewhat limited picture adjustments. There are three color-temperature presets (but no user-adjustable controls for grayscale), a Black Level setting with dark or light options, and an x.v.Color setting, although this remains of little value until x.v.Color-encoded sources become widely available. Another new feature is the set's 24p Direct In mode, which lets you switch from standard 60 Hz to a 48-Hz display rate when receiving a 1080p/24 signal via HDMI from a Blu-ray Disc player. The key benefit here is the elimination of the 2:3 pulldown used to reconcile film's 24-frame-per-second rate with a TV's standard 60-Hz display.

PERFORMANCE

After making a minor calibration adjustment of the TV's Warm color-temperature preset (see Test Bench), I popped the Blu-ray Disc of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe into my player to check out how the Panasonic handled movies. Right away, the set proved capable of delivering a crisp, finely detailed picture. In the scene where Lucy (Georgie Henley) first encounters Mr. Tumnus (James McAvoy), for example, snowflakes clinging to the lamppost the girl hides behind were clearly visible, as was the coarse texture of her wool cardigan.

The set's black depth and shadow detail were also very good — not surprising, given my previous experience with Panasonic plasmas. In a subsequent scene in Mr. Tumnus's lair, where the tearful faun admits to trying to kidnap Lucy, deep shadows looked solid, and details such as carved furniture and gilded books in the bookcases that line the rough rock walls could easily be seen in the dark background.

But the striking thing about the Panasonic's picture was its color balance in THX mode. In a scene where the children enter Aslan's camp for the first time, the green grass looked exceedingly natural, while the red tents and flags managed to look rich without seeming too vivid. The set's subtle color rendition also highlighted fine skin-tone differences — Peter's sallow complexion and his sister's pale, porcelain face, for example.

Although the TV's 24p input mode mostly worked well, smoothing out picture judder in movie scenes with camera pans when the 48-Hz option was selected, it also caused the screen to flicker a bit. The effect could mostly be seen in shots with bright backgrounds such as snow or sky. Once I noticed it, the flickering was tough to ignore, so I decided to use the set's 60-Hz display option for all of my viewing.

The TV's upconversion of standard-def signals was good; regular cable-TV programs and DVDs looked mostly clean and solid, if just a bit soft. (False contouring could also be seen on noisier programs.) Panasonic's Video Noise Reduction processing helped to smooth out grainy images, although its MPEG NR mode softened pictures when switched on.

BOTTOM LINE

With the TH-50PZ800U, Panasonic continues its evolutionary progress toward making an ideal plasma TV. This set's THX picture mode delivers exceptionally natural-looking color without making you jump through lots of picture-adjustment hoops, and its deep shadows will make even fans of Pioneer's Kuro plasmas stand up and take notice. But the best thing of all has to be the Panasonic's price: Shop around, and you'll be able to bring home this outstanding TV for a song.

TEST BENCH

Color temperature (THX mode/Warm color temperature Before/after calibration):
20-IRE: 6,329 K/6,523 K
30-IRE: 6,131 K/6,703 K
40-IRE: 5,962 K/6,578 K
50-IRE: 5,834 K/6,605 K
60-IRE: 5,859 K/6,559 K
70-IRE: 5,934 K/6,488 K
80-IRE: 6,157 K/6,273 K
90-IRE: 5,887 K/6,641 K
100-IRE: 6,041 K/6,488 K
Brightness (100-IRE window): 35.3/35.6 ftL

Primary Color Accuracy vs. SMPTE HD Standard

Color	Target X	Measured X	Target Y	Measured Y
Red	0.64	0.68	0.33	0.32
Green	0.30	0.30	0.60	0.62
Blue	0.15	0.13	0.06	0.04

The Panasonic's THX picture preset delivered the most accurate color when its Warm color temperature preset was also selected. In that mode, grayscale tracking was +/- 641degrees K of the 6,500 K standard from 30 to 100 IRE in that mode — below average performance. Adjustments made to the color temperature controls in the set's hidden service menu improved grayscale tracking to +/-227 degrees K from 10 to 100 IRE. Color decoder tests in THX mode revealed a -15 percent red and -5 percent green error on both the HDMI and component-video inputs. As compared to the SMPTE HD specification, the set's red, green, and blue color points were notably accurate as compared to most other TVs.

Overscan — the amount of picture area hidden behind the edges of the TV's screen — measured 0% for 1080i -format high-definition signals with the Size 2 HD Size option selected. The set displayed 1080i and 720p test patterns with full resolution on the HDMI and component-video inputs, although a degree of noise was visible in the highest-frequencies of both 1080i and 720p multiburst test patterns via component video. A 480i test pattern revealed picture sharpness to be slightly below full DVD resolution level. No edge enhancement was visible via the HDMI and component-video inputs with the set's sharpness control set below its mid-point. Screen uniformity was characteristically excellent for a plasma model, with picture contrast remaining solid at all viewing angles over a near 180-degree arc.

The Panasonic passed most of the tests contained on both the Silicon Optix HQV high-def and DVD test discs with the exception of the high-def Film resolution test — one that many TVs trip up on. Its upconversion of regular DVDs look very clean and solid, if just a tad soft. The set's standard digital noise reduction setting worked well, helping to smooth out grainy images without reducing picture detail. Its MPEG noise reduction mode softened pictures when turned on, however.