Panasonic VIERA X1 Series TC-P42X1 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV
Panasonic P42X1 vs Samsung PN42B450 Comparison
Our previous TV was a decent 32-inch LCD with an excellent picture. After three years, I came to realize that a 32-inch size is not optimum for viewing from 8-10 feet away in our living room. So I set off on researching a larger HDTV option.
I determined that a 40-42 inch size would fit our space perfectly and be well-suited to our viewing distance. Based on my good experience with the 32-inch LCD, I started looking at 40-inch LCDs only. I researched every model within our budget ($700) and found several good units from Sony, Samsung, Toshiba, and LG. It was very difficult to pick a clear winner.
And then, while trying to make the LCD decision, I wandered over and looked at the plasmas.
In the bright environment of BB, the LCDs definitely have the edge when it comes to “wow” factor with their bright, crisp displays turned up to the max. This is because people equate bright pictures with good pictures. In comparison, the plasmas appear more subdued and are not as “punchy” especially when they’re side-by-side with the LCDs. But the plasmas develop a deep, rich image that can’t be matched by similar-priced LCDs with conventional backlighting. Go take a look at the plasma displays set up in the low-light environment of the Magnolia section of BB and the quality difference of plasma becomes apparent.
The beauty of the plasma is that each pixel can be turned “off” and essentially emits no light -this allows for very deep blacks and higher-quality color reproduction. Conventional LCDs have a constant backlight that bleeds through the LCD matrix and this makes it difficult for LCDs to reproduce dark blacks. Plasma is also free of image lag when viewing fast moving scenes such as sports (something that even the best LCD’s have a hard time resolving). Plasma pretty much dominates the home theater world due to its excellent color fidelity, fluid images, and deep black reproduction. If you can control the amount of ambient light in your viewing environment (e.g. no bright windows reflecting off the TV screen or strong overhead lighting) then plasma can’t be beat. From what I have researched and personally experienced, a lot of people struggle to find their perfect LCD display. They never find it…until they finally try plasma and realize that’s what they’ve been looking for all along!
I narrowed down my research to two, similar, 42-inch plasma models: the Panasonic P42X1 and the Samsung PN42B450. With Panasonic’s long-standing reputation for plasma technology, I decided to order the P42X1. This is a well-built unit with a massive stand and solid construction. After viewing some HD feeds (Discovery Channel, etc.) from Dish HD and performing some image adjustments recommended by online forums, I realized that the 42X1’s lack of multiple user adjustments is a detriment to what could be excellent picture quality. You get brightness, contrast, color, tint, and sharpness only. After several days of experimentation, I could not get the perfect balance of color and fleshtones. A more disturbing effect was that the 42X1 had trouble displaying very bright images and very dark images on the screen simultaneously. It was a subtle effect but was very obvious when displaying the Dish Network program guide. In the Dish program guide, there’s an inset “view” of the tuned-in program superimposed over the dark blue/gray program guide that fills the entire screen. When the images in the inset view would go to high brightness, the dark blue background of the program guide on the rest of the screen would shift or “flicker” in brightness, as well. For some reason, the TV was being fooled by the high-brightness in one small area of the screen and would adjust the brightness in other portions of the image (this used to happen on old CRT TVs). Unfortunately, this phenomenon also existed while watching normal HD programming -if one area of the image became bright then the darker areas would shift in brightness, as well. A very unusual effect but noticeable while viewing different programs. I also ran full-screen “plasma break-in” images of various color gradations and noticed that about a dozen or so red and blue pixels in the lower left area were somewhat brighter than the others. Of course, this could only be seen up close. There were also some small dirt/dust particles in a couple areas behind the outer glass. I really wanted to like the 42X1 but had a hard time with several of the shortcomings mentioned above.
So, for comparison, I ordered the Samsung PN42B450 plasma (similar in size and price to the Panasonic). Once I got the unit set up at home, I set both the 42X1 and 42B450 side-by-side in our living room and did a comparison test, making tweaks to both units, as needed. Both TV’s looked good but the clear advantage was with the Samsung in overall color fidelity, contrast, and fine detail. The wealth of picture controls on the Samsung menu makes it very easy to calibrate the black level, gamma, white balance, etc. -adjustments that cannot be made on the Panasonic user menu. The Samsung could be easily adjusted to match the black level of the Panasonic, as well. As a matter of fact, after running several calibration test patterns for contrast and brightness, I found that the Panasonic could not display the dark gray patterns on my test disc no matter how much I adjusted the brightness and contrast adjustments. The Samsung had no such problem.
Overall, I came to appreciate that Samsung allows the user so many different adjustments to suit individual taste. In addition, careful inspection of the Samsung’s plasma screen revealed no defective pixels. The Samsung also had no problem with displaying bright images on dark backgrounds and suffered none of the resultant “flickering” problems that were easily seen on the Panasonic. The only vices on the Samsung so far appears to be its somewhat wobbly stand (a minor drawback since the stand also allows the TV to rotate to suit the viewing position) and the fact that the plastic bezel surrounding the screen makes crackling noises as the TV warms up. (UPDATE 2/25/10: I exchanged my first 42B450 for a second unit and the second one makes absolutely no crackling noises whatsoever. Based on my research, I believe that a brief production run of the Samsungs were built in late 2009/early 2010 with some “noisy” plastic bezels. Most people do not appear to have this problem.)
OVERALL PERFORMANCE - SAMSUNG VS PANASONIC:
PICTURE: Samsung wins this easily by virtue of its excellent color fidelity, contrast, and wealth of user adjustments. Both the Samsung and Panasonic achieve good black levels.
SOUND: Both have adequate down-firing speakers that are ok for casual listening.
MENU: Samsung’s menu system is extensive. Panasonic’s menu is very basic.
FRONT CONTROLS: Samsung has attractive, touch-sensitive controls on the front of the bezel where they are easy to see and access. Panasonic’s controls are located on the side behind the tv and can be difficult to see.
REMOTE CONTROL: Both are adequate but Samsung’s is more stylish on the coffee table.
INPUTS: Both units have similar quantities of HDMI and Component inputs. Samsung has a VGA connector input for PC; Panasonic has an S-Video input but no PC connection. Panasonic has an SD Card reader for easy photo viewing. The rear of the Samsung includes a built-in cable tie to bundle the wiring.
STYLE AND APPEARANCE: The Samsung has a more attractive bezel with dark red accents. Panasonic’s bezel is all black with a bright silver strip running along the bottom edge. Overall, the Samsung unit is thinner than the Panasonic.
BUILD QUALITY: Both units have good construction and all-metal back panels. The Panasonic’s base is remarkably sturdy and feels adequate to prevent the unit from tipping over. The Samsung’s base rotates to allow different viewing angles but this results in a more wobbly base. Some Samsungs built in late 2009/early 2010 may have “noisy” plastic bezels that crackle and pop as the unit warms up. My first 42B450 had this problem and so I exchanged it for a second unit -the second one is perfect and makes no noises at all.
QUALITY CONTROL: The Panasonic unit I tested had a dozen or more red and blue pixels that were brighter than the rest. This could only be seen up close to the screen. There were also two locations where dirt/dust was trapped behind the front panel glass. On the other hand, the Samsung unit had no pixel defects or trapped dirt/dust. Both TVs are built and assembled in Mexico.
Overall, I’m very happy with the performance and features of the Samsung PN42B450. Every HD show looks fantastic and the Winter Olympics have never looked better. I was originally set on the Panasonic P42X1 but quickly found several performance shortcomings (poor color, brightness fluctuations, and pixel defects in my sample) that made me return it and switch to the Samsung. I own several Samsung products and they’ve consistently delivered high-style, excellent features, and good reliability. As usual, Amazon’s price was excellent and their delivery service was prompt –only three days from order to delivery at my house.
The Samsung PN42B450 is an excellent value all-around.
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