Should You Get The Panasonic Tc-p50g10 Or The Tc-p50s1?

HDTV models of the same brand usually carry the same features. They still have some key differences, though, which can greatly affect your decision to buy it or not, like in the case of the Panasonic TC-P50G10 and the Panasonic TC-P50S1 Plasma HDTV models.

In terms of design, both the Panasonic TC-P50G10 and the Panasonic TC-P50S1 look impressive enough to stand apart from the sea of HDTVs. They both have hidden speakers and glossy black frames accentuated with a thin silver strip at the bottom. The similarity ends there, though, as the Panasonic TC-P50S1 has more rounded edges while the TC-P50G10 has a fading silver wash and a very thin frame. The frame of the TC-P50G10, in fact, is one of the thinnest produced by Panasonic. While they both have non-swiveling black stands, the TC-P50G10 comes with a round one while the TC-P50S1 comes with the usual rectangular.

In terms of picture quality, the TC-P50G10 and the TC-P50S1 both produce deep black levels, excellent shadow detail and saturated colors in the default mode. However, the TC-P50G10 has an extra mode, the THX mode, which, when enabled, results in even better images with better shadow detail and greater color accuracy. The only problem with this THX mode is its low light output, but it still does well in recreating the visual ambience of a movie theatre.

Connectivity-wise, the Panasonic TC-P50S1 has an adequate number of inputs and outputs with three HDMI ports and an SD card slot which allows you to share your pictures more easily with your friends. On the other hand, the TC-P50G10 offers more extensive connectivity options. Aside from the three HDMI ports and the SD card slot, it also comes with an analog audio output, a VGA port so you can plug in your computer and use your HDTV as the monitor, and a LAN port for the Viera Cast feature.

As for features, the Panasonic TC-P50G10 and the Panasonic TC-P50S1 each have their share of great ones. Both come with the Viera Link, one of the newest features made by Panasonic, which allows you to control your DVD recorder, Blu-ray player, surround sound speakers and other compatible devices remotely, sparing you the inconvenience of getting around and turning them all on and off one by one. Both models also have a game mode for gamers, an anti-reflective filter to
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prevent you from getting distracted when watching and a pixel orbiter to prevent screen burn-in.

One thing that makes the TC-P50G10 a cut above the TC-P50S1 is the Viera Cast feature, an even newer feature made by Panasonic. The Viera Cast feature allows you to enjoy online content even without a computer, from sites such as YouTube, Amazon, Picasa and others. This is because the TC-P50G10 has a built-in user friendly web interface and an ethernet port as mentioned earlier, though you can only enjoy this feature if you are subscribed to an internet connection.

It is also worth noting that the TC-P50G10 and the TC-P50S1 are more energy efficient than most Plasma televisions, although they are still far behind their LCD counterparts in this area. Both come with a NEO PDP panel while the TC-P50S1 comes with an Energy Star 3.0 rating – something it owes to the low light output of its default picture setting. The TC-P50G10 has an ECO menu which allows you to turn off certain functions automatically, as well.

Indeed, both the Panasonic TC-P50G10 and the Panasonic TC-P50S1 are excellent choices with a number of similarities. They both even have price tags that are not that different from each other. Still, the Panasonic TC-P50G10 clearly has a few more perks, which makes it worth the few extra hundreds and clearly one of the best HDTVs released by Panasonic so far.

By: Edward McKellen

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Edward McKellen is an expert on electronics and appliances. Read his Panasonic HDTV reviews and other HDTV reviews at HdtvReviewLab.com