1080p HD Picture Quality: The picture presentation of the from the 50S2 is still very bright and with the improved black levels much improved. Black levels are deep and strong with an HD signal input through HDMI. While not the best we've seen lately, they lose the dark gray haziness that the S2 can display with a 480i signal. Color is plenty saturated and dark shadow detail remains excellent.
Picture Presentation from 480i signals: We always test every TV with a 480i resolution. It is a great test of a TVs upconversion and processing chip sets. The signal may be likened to what you would see with your normal digital cable or satellite signal.The TC-P50S2 series plasma contains the new an updated version of the NEO PDP (i.e. plasma screen) from Panasonic. This is the same screen used in some of the higher end Panasonic series which should make this model a good value if picture quality is your primary objective. We find the picture quality overall improved from the prior S1 series. The drives do a little better job of eliminating motion artifacts than the S1 series did. Color rendition is still with black levels being the primary progress area of the S2 series delivering more depth and solidity. As was the case on the S1 series, brightness is a strength of the these newer Panasonic plasma models.
Calibration Notes: Overall, calibration to D6500K was very easy with this TV. Though there are no white balance adjustments available on the menu without entering the service menu, the 50S2 calibrated so close to D65 from the start that it would have improved the TV inappreciably. We started our calibration from the custom setting in the Warm 2 color temperature position. The S2 series TV does not contain the THX picture setting option. Follow the following settings to calibrate to a nearly perfect D65. These picture settings are best viewed in a controlled light environment fairly dark room:
Picture Mode: Custom
Color Temp: Warm2
Brightness: +74
Contrast: +75
Color: +45
Tint: -2
Sharpness: +15
Color Mgmt: OFF
x.v.Color: OFF
C.A.T.S.: OFF
Video NR: Weak
Block NR: Off
Misquito NR: Off
Black Level: Light
3:2 Pulldown: Off
HD Size: 2
Black Level/Contrast: Black levels were an area that the S1 series needed a makeover on. They got it with this S2 series. These are not going to be the best black levels we see this year and we dont anticipate them coming close to some of the Samsung plasma black levels. However, Panasonic has brought black levels back into welcomed focus. Final ANSI contrast measurement was 1261:1 which is a nice improvement over last year but far from what we want. One of the TVs greatest strengths lies in its white brightness which measured an average luminance of 31.50. This result nears LCD TVs in brightness and points to Panasonic's desire to compete with LCD TVs in this area.
Dark Shadow Detail: Partly due to the high brightness of this plasma dark shadow detail is excellent. Panasonic plasma TVs have long been a favorite of ours in this important area.
Color Rendition/Color Accuracy: Color rendition is much more saturated with HD content. The TV excels with HD content and is much more subdued in presentation with lower signals. Colors can seem a little weak and hazy at times with lower end signals. I will give them the thumbs up on reality however.
Features: One of the key feature differences of the S2 series with the G20 series of plasma by Panasonic is the absense of The Viera Cast feature set, which enables online content via a web interface. As a result, there is also no Ethernet port. The included Viera Link feature allows the user to control other Viera link capable outboard equipment. Viera Image viewer is the Panasonic compatible technology which enables use of SD memory card viewing via the SD card slot.The S2 has discrete picture settings for each input as well as Panasonic's new "600 Hz" specification for blur reduction.
This TV is Energy Star compliant due to an energy saver feature option. Power consumption for the S2 has been reduced from the S1. This is one of the main feature differences aside from improved black levels. Panasonic started improving efficiency in their plasma TVs in 2007 and have improved it 400% with this S2 model. They are now close enough to LCDs in energy efficiency that is should not matter.
To see the overall ratings and full review of this TV head over to Plasma TV Buying Guide Panasonic TC-P50S2 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
I bought and evaluated this TV for about two weeks before taking it back and purchasing the new Sharp 52LE810UN edge-lit LED. I have since taken back the Sharp and will be picking up the TC-P58S2 tomorrow. Here are my thoughts:
Overall Picture Quality: Overall the S2 has superior picture quality to the Sharp Edge Lit. The LED's only advantage is the Film Mode/Motion Flow, which gives the picture a very smooth video like appearance. Some people don't like this as it doesn't represent the film in the manner the Director originally intended.
Black Levels: The S2 has great inky blacks. These black levels hold whether in a completely dark or brightly lit room. The LED edge-lit black levels were no where near as good. In a dark room the Sharp's screen looked white/cloudy, even with the backlight turned all the way down. A full LED set with local dimming would likely fair more favorably against the S2.
Constrast: The S2's contrast was far better than the Edge Lit LED. Again, in this area Plasmas still dominate.
Bright Room Performance: The S2's matte screen did an excellent job of handling bright rooms and it's backlight was plenty strong to handle even direct sunlight. The glossy screen of the Sharp was very, very reflective and seriously detracted from the viewing experience, despite it's very powerful backlight.
Viewing Angle: The S2's viewing angle is phenomenal. You can sit at any angle to this TV and still have a bright and vibrant picture. While the Sharp LED had good viewing angles, it can't keep up with the Plasma and began to get washed out at about 70 degrees.
Network Connectivity: The S2 does not have internet connectivity like the LE810. The LE810 has a host of internet widgets and features. This was not an issue for me though, as I utilize my PS3 for internet connectivity and BLU-Rays, meaning the Sharp was redundant for my purposes.
Connectivity: The S2 does not have a d-sub input. This could be an issue for some, but was not for me, as I have an HDMI output on my laptop.
Design: Thin Edge-lit LEDs have great visual appeal, but they sacrifice performance for looks. The S2 is comparable in design to mid-priced LCDs, though slightly heavier. The buttons on the S2 and its remote function well and are well laid out. The buttons on the Sharp are "supposed" to be touch sensitive, but require A LOT of pressure to activate. The Sharp's remote is stylistically and functionally similar to the S2. Again, this sacrifices looks for function. The Sharp's base is solid glass, whereas the S2's is plastic.
Sound: Surprisingly, the Sharp delivers great sound (for a flat panel) despite it's thin design. The Sharp pumped out more volume at 25% than the S2 did at 50%. The Panasonic has weak sound for large rooms. I'd recommend using a HTIB or Receiver/Speakers with the Panny. The S2 now sells for $899 on Amazon. This is a great value! The $1,200+ price of the 58 inch S2 is truly compelling. With the Sharp, for $1,799 your getting the newest LED technology with internet connectivity in a slim design.
Value: I purchased the S2 for $1099. The Sharp cost $1,799. The Panny outperformed the Sharp in almost every area and does so at over $900 less.
I highly recommend the Panasonic to anyone looking for picture quality first and design second. - Hdtv - 50 Inch Plasma - 1080p - Plasma Tv'
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