Panasonic has split its latest plasma range in two, with its new NeoPDP panels at the top, and the latest generation of its old plasma technology at the bottom. This has created a wider performance gap across the range than weve seen before. But its also led to a wider price range, including the cheapest Panasonic plasma TVs ever.
Cue the TX-P37X10: a 37in, HD Ready plasma telly selling for just 600, yet which doesnt require you to swallow nearly as many compromises as you might expect.
For instance, its solidly connected, with three HDMIs, and an unexpected SD card slot allowing simple viewing of digital photographs on your telly.
Love hertzAlso impressive for the P37X10s money are a 100Hz engine designed to make motion more fluid and increase image stability, and a startling claimed contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1 that makes the contrast claims of nearly all rival flat TVs especially LCDs look positively lame.
In action, the P37X10 produces pictures that arent up there with Panasonics best, but which are far better than youd expect from a 600 37in TV.
As usual with Panasonic plasmas, the P37X10s black level response is particularly impressive, revealing, for better or worse, whatevers lurking in the darkest corners of Xbox 360 survival horror classic
Dead Space more clearly than any other similarly-priced TV.
Blur-free zoneIts also refreshing to find objects moving around the screen without the blur witnessed on many LCD TVs, and standard definition pictures surviving the rescaling process to the screens HD Ready resolution with more clarity and less video noise than usual.
HD pictures, too, look clean and reasonably detailed though as wed expect, given the screens 1024x720 resolution, HD images arent as pristine and crisp as they would be on a decent full HD (1920x1080) screen.
The P37X10 cant completely escape its price point, though. Rich reds and some skin tones, for instance, sometimes look a touch orange, especially with standard definition sources. Horizontal motion can judder slightly too, despite the 100Hz engine, and there are also occasionally traces of dotting noise over moving skin tones.
We were never going to find perfection for 600, but the P37X10 nevertheless delivers performance worth much more than its paltry asking price.
Author:John Archer
Copyright 2009 Dennis Publishing All Rights Reserved.
Panasonic TX-P37X10