Panasonic TH-P50X10A plasma television

The Panasonic TH-P50X10A plasma television is cheap and large, offering 50 inches of screen real estate for significantly less than $2000. It has good contrast and motion handling, but sharpness and detail suffer when compared to Full HD TVs.

The Panasonic TH-P50X10A plasma TV has a similar style to the TH-P42S10A and the TH-P50G10A: a thin, curvaceous black bezel with a silver accent on the lower running edge. We're pleased to see that like the more expensive models, the budget TH-P50X10A still uses an all-metal chassis and rear — it lends a sense of sturdiness to the television despite its relatively slim 10cm depth.

There are three HDMI digital connectors, three composite ports, and single VGA, S-Video and component connectors. It's good to see some ports on the television's side for easy access: one of the HDMI ports and the VGA and composite ports, as well as an SD card slot.

The 1366x768 resolution of the 50in screen is fine if you're sitting more than 5 metres away, but any closer and you'll notice a difference in detail when compared to a 1080p set. With a resolution closer to 720p than 1080p, the Panasonic TH-P50X10A has the ability to display all the detail from broadcast digital TV and DVD content, but high-definition Blu-ray video won't be utilised to its fullest.

The television's non-Full HD resolution is the only complaint we have with its picture quality, though. The Panasonic TH-P50X10A has very vibrant and well saturated colours, and a 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio means bright whites and inky blacks can be displayed. Dynamic brightness adjustments are imperceptible and don't detract from the viewing experience. Motion is another area where the television excels — fast, sweeping pans in the Planet Earth documentary were represented true-to-film.

As with most plasma televisions — especially cheaper models — power consumption is a concern. The TH-P50X10A has a three star rating, which is better than other models, but its average power consumption level of 240 Watts is higher than an LCD of comparable specifications.

Panasonic's 50in TH-P50X10A is a good television for the competitive "big screen, small price" budget market segment. It's not Full HD, which might drive away buyers, and it may cost a bit more to run than an energy-efficient set. You can pick this plasma television up for under $1400 if you shop around, and some lucky buyers in the next few months leading up to Christmas will also snag a few freebies.

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