(October 21, 2009) Panasonic recently released its top of the line plasma model, the 54” TC-P54Z1. It builds on the high performance of the V10 series models by shrinking the depth to just 1 inch, adding an outboard media center, wireless 1080p connectivity and removable “elephant ear” side speakers.

The Z1’s panel takes a cue from Pioneer’s Kuro by eliminating the top sheet of glass from the panel and bonding a very effective anti-reflective coating directly to the top glass, thus eliminating any internal reflections between the top two sheets of glass found on all other plasma panels.

A brushed aluminum-finished bezel flanked by black left/right vertical inserts distinguishes the Z1 from the rest of Panasonic’s 2009 plasma lineup. The TC-P54Z1 package consists of a media receiver, wireless transmitter module, wireless receiver module, a pair of speakers with associated brackets, a table stand and all connecting cables.

Because of the large number of parts, unpacking and setting up the Z1 consumed about an hour, far longer than any other HDTV tested to date. Most flat screens simply require the assembly and mounting of the table stand. Overall, the assembly went very smoothly and the complete system functioned properly immediately thereafter.

The monitor section has but one HDMI input plus a mini HDMI jack for connection to the wireless HD receiver. As an experiment, we connected a source component directly to the HDMI input, but were unable to get a signal to appear on the screen; hardly surprising considering that all switching, functions and user controls reside in the media center box rather than in the display.  Outboarding the switching and controls allowed Panasonic’s engineers to shrink the monitor’s depth to just an inch— thinner than Samsung’s LED LCD HDTVs.

The media receiver includes a built-in HDTV over-the-air tuner as well as an Ethernet connection for Panasonic’s Viera Cast internet content providers that include Picasa (photo uploads and downloads), YouTube, Amazon Videos and Bloomberg News. There are four HDMI (3 rear/1 front) and two component video inputs, as well as two composite video/S, a 15 pin sub-D for a PC (front) and RS-232 serial connector (for remote control systems such as Crestron). Also included is a front SD card slot for on-screen digital photo viewing. The front inputs are located under a swing down door (see photo).

The wireless transmitter and a mini “DC” terminal connector attach to the media receiver box via an HDMI cable (see photo).

The accompanying wireless receiver attaches to the back of the monitor panel by two screws and connects via an HDMI cable and another “DC” (Display unit Connector).

The receiver adds about an inch to the overall depth when attached to the back of the display. However we don’t see any reason why one couldn’t mount it beneath the screen ann.

The user interface is similar to the one used on the V10 series (review link). The Z1 has the same features including Digital Cinema Color, a user control for adjusting white balance, 96 Hz display for 24 Hz sources (Blu-ray discs and select DirecTV HD movies) and THX certified viewing mode.

The wireless system, designed by Sibeam (link), sends source signals (up to 1080p) a distance of up to 30 feet from the transmitter to the receiver. Panasonic recommends pointing the transmitter module towards the receiver attached to the monitor.

Unlike competing systems, such as the one Sony offers with its XBR10, the Sibeam 60 GHz (gigahertz) system claims to work within an enclosed cabinet. We put it to the test by placing the transmitter within a Stormcase type thick plastic PC case and latching it closed. From a test distance of 12 feet, the system worked flawlessly, delivering perfect 1080p images to the screen!

The ability to connect wirelessly is a real boon to potential purchasers living in residences with plaster or concrete walls. Now you’ll only just an electric outlet at the panel to wall mount the Z1.

Performance

Primary Color points (red, green, blue) measured in the THX mode were found to be close, but not quite at the HDTV rec. 709 standard. The results are as follows with 709 standard in parentheses R= x.629, y.332 (x.64, y.33) G= x.313 y=.591 (x.30, y.60) B= x.152, y.065 (x.15, y.06).

The Z1 is capable of producing intensely bright images. The factory “Vivid” mode designed for showrooms and not recommend for home use came in at a blazing 80.35 ft lamberts. In the THX factory setting, the level measured 33 ft. lamberts, a brightness perfectly suited for low ambient lighting levels found in many home TV viewing rooms. In the calibrated “Custom” mode, the image brightness read 40.46 ft lamberts, a level that is more than adequate for any normal day ambient room light conditions.

The Z1 produces very deep black levels. Using our new Konica Minolta LS-100 meter we obtained a minimum black of just .009 ft lamberts, a number that beats most LCD displays and produced a very deep shade of black. How does this compare to the Pioneer Kuro Pro-141FD? The now discontinued Pioneer still beats it, coming in below the accuracy of the meter, which is at or below .003 ft. lamberts (according to Konica Minolta). We did not have an opportunity to compare the Z1’s reading with a V10, however we plan to do so in the near future and will update the review accordingly.

Motion resolution measured a full 1080 lines without the artificial video look seen on all 120/240Hz LCDs tested to date (see the V10 review for more on this phenomena).

Using the HQV standard and high def test discs, we checked out the media box’s signal processing. The Z1 aced the HD and SD deinterlace and 3:2 pulldown tests but fell short on the jaggies tests, smoothing just two of the three moving lines with both standard and high definition tests. According to a Panasonic spokesman, the media box uses the same signal processing as the V10 plasma models, creating a mystery as to why we obtained different results (the V10 passes all the tests).

Gray scale in THX mode measured close to the 6500K standard out of the box with a reading of 6325K at 80 IRE and 6016K at 20 IRE in the Warm 2 color temperature mode. In custom mode, before calibration (in Warm 2) measurements were 6159K at 80 IRE and 5827K at 20 IRE. Post calibration resulted in near perfect readings of 6621K at 80 IRE and 6546K at 20 IRE.

The side speakers are a vast improvement over the downward firing speakers found in Panasonic’s V10 series models and many competitors’ < 2” thin LCDs. They provide far better overall range and clear high frequencies. They can also play really loud without audible distortion.

Energy consumption using the IEC standard test disc measured 192 watts in the THX mode and 240 watts in the calibrated “Custom” mode, the same measurement as the 54” TC-P54V10. The media box with the wireless transmitter uses 30 watts.

Viewing

With the user controls tweaked, we sampled HD and SD content using source material from Verizon FIOS, DirecTV and HD movies from Blu-ray discs via Panasonic’s DMP-BD80.  The deep black level and bright whites consistently produced images with punch; undoubtedly due to the real world high contrast ratio the Z1 is capable of producing. Although the Z1 didn’t ace the HQV jaggies tests, we noticed no problems with any source material we threw at it.

The Sibeam wireless circuitry worked flawlessly and transparently, never calling attention to the fact that no physical connection existed between the media box and the monitor.   As economies of scale kick in, the price delta for this wireless solution will eventually diminish to where the need for any long HDMI cables between the display and the source may be totally eliminated.

The TC-P54Z1 currently retails for $5499.99 making it $2100 more expensive than the TC-P54V10 with internal tuner and inputs.

Conclusion

The TC-P54Z1’s thin profile, outstanding color, contrast and deep black levels coupled with its perfect motion resolution without associated artifacts seen with 120Hz/240Hz LCDs, combined with plasma’s inherent ability to provide superior off-axis images, place the TC-P54Z1 at the top of the HDTV market. While pricey, if your viewing environment’s construction prevents you from wall mounting a flat panel, the additional cost may be justified.  The HD Guru awards the Panasonic TC-P54Z1 ♥♥♥♥♥ our highest rating.

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Copyright ©2009 HD Guru Inc. All rights reserved. HDGURU is a registered trademark. The content and photos within may not be distributed electronically or copied mechanically without specific written permission. The content within is based upon information provided to the editor, which is believed to be reliable. Data within is subject to change. HD GURU is not responsible for errors or omissions

Panasonic’s recently introduced V10 series, the next level up from its well received G10 plasma line (recently reviewed on this site), uses the same NEO PDP panel but adds significant features including three color modes (up from two), user-controlled gray scale setting, 96Hz refresh rate for 24Hz sources and a thinner profile. The set is now available in 50,” and 54″ diagonal screen sizes, with the 58″ and  65″ versions due sometime in August.

Both the TC-P54V10 reviewed here and the 50” model use an attractive one-sheet front anti-reflective glass, that extends from edge to edge covering the bezel to produce a very slick appearance. The V10s sport a silver accent along the display bottom. The TC-P54V10 has a stepped rear panel that is about 1″ deep at the top and 3.3″ in the middle,  almost an inch thinner G10’s 4.2″ overall depth.

The V10’s jack pack adds a fourth HDMI input (side mounted) compared to the G10’s three, plus two component video inputs with L/R audio; one S video with L/R; two composite AV inputs (one side-mounted); RS-232 control jack for Crestron Type remote control systems and a side mounted sub-D PC input. There is also an Ethernet port for connection to Panasonic’s Viera Cast  Internet functions.

The remote control is similar to the one found with the G10 and easy to use, though it lacks a backlight. The On Screen menu uses a typical layered structure with the more advanced features (described below) in sub-menus. However, there is a Viera Tools button that allows direct access to a number of functions including picture mode (such as THX). The 54″ comes with a fixed non-swivel stand. Like the G10, it has downward firing oval coned speakers that provide adequate volume but not high fidelity sound.

Features

As previously noted, the V10 adds a number of performance oriented features the G10 series lacks, including Digital Cinema Color (DCC), which emulates the color gamut of the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI).  While the HDTV standard used on Blu-ray movies and theoretically broadcast HDTV (usually not though, because of a number of variables in the broadcast chain) has a restricted  gamut called Rec. 709, Blu-ray discs (and Sony Playstation video games)  have the ability to display a wider color gamut via meta-data as part of the HDMI 1.3 standard called xvYCC. Unfortunately, no discs to date have it, but if they ever do, the TC-P54V10 will be able to use the data to map out the colors as the film studio intended. In the meantime, you can choose to have the V10 simulate a wider color palette by engaging the DCC feature. The TC-54V10 features two other color modes: standard and THX. The THX mode closely follows the Rec. 709 HDTV standard (see the Performance section for details).

As with the G10 series, the TC-P54V10 has effective noise reduction for analog (called Video NR) and digital based signals (Block and Mosquito NR). A control for Black level makes darker objects black or near black (choose the “Light” setting to avoid crushing black detail), while C.A.T.S adjusts picture brightness with the level ambient room light (we recommend leaving it in the off position).

Like the G10 models, the V10 can connect via an Ethernet jack to services including Picasa (photo uploads and downloads), YouTube, Amazon Videos and Bloomberg News. Unlike a number of other TV vendors, Panasonic’s VieraCast is upgradeable, meaning new services will be offered as they become available in the future.

Unique to the V10 series (and the single model TC-P54Z1) is 96Hz display. When fed a 24 Hz signal (movie film based content), from a Blu-ray player or (limited) DirecTV HD content, the V10 provides the option of choosing 48 Hz, 60 Hz or 96 Hz display. With 96 Hz, film based content is presented as 4-4, meaning film frame 1 repeats four times, followed by frame 2  repeated four times, followed by frame 3 repeated four times and so forth. Other plasma TVs and LCD flat panels use a less sophisticated system called 3-2 pulldown, which repeats (film based content) frame 1 three times, followed by frame 2 two times, followed by frame 3 three times and so forth. This uneven pace, (necessary to fit 24 frames per second into a 60 Hz display) sometimes produces jerky horizontal pans called “film judder.”

Technologies developed by LCD TV makers can also eliminate film judder, using higher refresh rates of 120 Hz and 240 Hz. Repeating film frames 5 times (120 Hz) or 10 times (240Hz) eliminates judder. However, most 2009 LCD sets also use a system called motion compensation/motion estimation (MC/ME) that makes motion smoother by creating synthesized frames between the actual film frames.

Unfortunately, the MC/ME circuits also create artifacts that make film based content appear as if it was recorded as video rather than transferred from movie film. There is a reduction or elimination of the appearance of film grain and other unwanted visible image changes. Some LCD HDTV makers claim this function can be deactivated while others brands and models don’t offer the choice. For example, the recently reviewed Samsung UN46B8000 continued to make film based content “video like” even though the ME/MC circuit was set to the “off” position. The video “look” has been called by some the “soap opera effect” or SEO.

Various home theater forum contributors opine about the effect, with some liking it and others (including the HD Guru®) not.  In our opinion, when displaying a movie (whether at a theater or home) the medium should preserve the film look, including the grain associated with chemical photography. The V10’s system eliminates film judder while maintaining the film look. To date, LCD displays with MC/ME frame insertion don’t.
LCDs need 120 or 240 Hz to reduce motion blur. 60 Hz LCDs display about 300 out of 1080 lines per picture height (PPH) during motion, while 120 Hz LCDs max out at around 600 out of 1080. The V10 reproduces full 1080 PPH motion resolution, confirmed using the FPD test disc.

Performance

With the G10 setting new plasma standards in energy consumption, out of the box color accuracy, white level uniformity and image brightness, the expectation was for similar performance with the equally spec’d TC-P54V10.  This was confirmed in our video processing trials with the V10 also acing the standard definition HQV Benchmark tests and the HD Benchmark’s Noise Reduction, Video Resolution and 3:2 tests. (See the G10 review for more details Here)

Taking primary color points measurements in THX and Custom modes (with DCC on and off), the results are as follows, with the Rec. 709 coordinates for red, green and blue in parentheses. THX R= x.634, y.333 (x.64, y.33) G= x.305, y=.613 (x.30, y.60) B= x.153, y.064 (x.15, y.06). These numbers mean the V10 closely reproduces the HDTV standard when set to THX.  Custom with DCC “Off” measured R= x.664, y 3.23; G= x.280 y=.644; B= x.151, y.057. With DCC “On” R= x.669 y.321; G= x.257 y.671; B= x.151 y.057

Image brightness was excellent. Maxed out (factory default) “Vivid” mode measured a blazing 87.9 ft. Lamberts.  With all the user settings calibrated for maximum accuracy “Custom” mode measured a very bright 47.6 Ft Lamberts—a level comparable to many calibrated LCD flat panels. The THX mode came in at 33.5 ft lamberts, bright enough for most viewing environments, but not as punchy as when viewing in the brighter “Custom” mode.

Energy consumption was low. Using factory default home “Standard” mode the TC-P54V10 requires just 216.5 watts using the IEC industry standard DVD test material. Calibrated in “Custom” mode consumption came in at 240 watts, which is not at all shabby for a 54″ display.

Gray scale was measured in THX mode with the “Color Temperature” user setting at “Warm 2″ (there is no other adjustment for THX mode). Measurements recorded were 6626K (20 IRE) and 6594K at 80 IRE. Custom mode allows gray scale to be-user calibrated. Again, using Warm 2 color temp mode, post calibration at the 20IRE level recorded a color temperature of 6448K and 6424K at 80IRE.  Skin tones appear quite natural.

The Gamma user control, set to its numerically highest level (”Normal”), measured 2.25 average. There is no service level or user gamma tracking adjustment available, an omission we would like to see remedied in a display of this caliber. Blu-ray discs are mastered for a 2.5 gamma display.

The TC-P54V10 really excelled overall in visual contrast, consistently creating more “pop” to the image than our reference Pioneer Elite Pro-141FD monitor.  The Pioneer Elite is still the champ when it comes to black level, with deep inky blacks, which is most noticeable in a completely dark room. However, the Pioneer sometimes obscured dark details that the Panasonic presents. For example, the clouds of smoke clearly visible on the Panasonic during the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks broadcast in high definition on NBC, sometimes melted into black on the 141FD.

Most surprising was the significantly lower black level of the V10 when compared side-by-side with the TC-P50G10 (see photo). Even though the two have the same contrast ratio specifications, the V10’s blacks were far deeper than the G10’s. Too low to measure with our meter, we guesstimate the blacks are about one half as dark on the V10, which is a significant and worthwhile improvement.

Black Level Comparison-TC-P54V10 Top TC-P50G10 Bottom

Conclusion

The TC-P54V10 is Panasonic’s best plasma HDTV to date.  Dealers and videophiles have been lamenting  Pioneer’s withdrawal of the revered KURO plasma HDTVs from the market. Panasonic’s V10 provides comparable or better performance in nearly every criteria of image quality, at less than half the retail price (50″ vs. 50″) and can be regarded as a worthy successor.

Readers have been asking whether they should purchase a G10 or V10. Both are superb displays and either (under reasonable room ambient lighting conditions) will provide overall a more accurate image with far wider viewing angles than any LCD tested to date.

The TC-PV10 betters the G10 in black level, “pop”, judder free film reproduction and user accessible gray scale adjustment (though one needs an expensive meter to obtain accurate results). HD Guru believes the relatively small cost differential ($400 retail/~$300 street) is well worthwhile, especially for  viewers interested in obtaining the most accurate home movie experience. The TC-P54V10 retails for $2599.95.

The TC-P54V10 so significantly raised the performance bar, HD Guru feels it necessary to widen the rating scale from this review forward from four to five hearts.

The HD Guru awards the Panasonic TC-P54V10 ♥♥♥♥♥ its highest rating.

-HDGuru® with Michael Fremer

——
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Copyright ©2009 HD Guru Inc.  All rights reserved. HDGURU is a registered trademark.  The content and photos within may not be distributed electronically or copied mechanically without specific written permission.  The content within is based upon information provided to the editor, which is believed to be reliable.  Data within is subject to change.  HD GURU is not responsible for errors or omissions.

This new Premier plasma panel retails for $9999 and boasts the highest contrast and lowest black levels of any Panasonic HD display with a rated contrast ratio of 60,000:1. In addition, Panasonic has increased its signal processing to 18-bits for 7,160 equivalent steps of gradation. Panasonic widened the color gamut as well, to a rated spec of 120% of Rec. 709, the HDTV standard. A Panasonic spokesperson said the improvements within the panel when compared to its top consumer model the TH-PZ850U include improved glass filters for lower reflectivity and an increase of the residual discharge of the panel from 1/3 of the “idle” level of previous generation levels, to 1/6th the “idle” level with the VX100, resulting in the best black level performance in Panasonic plasma history. A Panasonic engineer said this was aided with the addition of a new magnesium oxide layer within the panel as well as thinner cell walls to increase the “aperture” making more of the surface area active (being able to emit light) for higher light output. This combintion of darker blacks and brighter whites produce a higher contrast ratio.
The TH-65VX100’s feature set reflects Panasonic target audience, high on performance and low on ordinary TV functions, with the first being the omission of a built-in HDTV or analog tuner. As mentioned above, this is a monitor. Other TV “omissions” include standard definition source inputs, namely composite and S-video. The TH-65VX1000 has four HDMI jacks (all rear), one component video, and one PC input (VGA). There is also a RS-232 jack for control for automation systems by Creston, AMX and other remote control companies. The inputs are mounted into removable boards (two HDMIs per board). Panasonic plans to offer other input boards including one with HD SDI (most suited for broadcasters and production studios), one with a DVI input and another with S-video and composite standard definition inputs.

The TH-65VX100 is finished black with a dull black brushed aluminum bezel to avoid screen or room reflections on the frame. The panel 61.181” (W) x 36.417” (H) x 3.897” (D). A table stand is an extra coast option.

The user interface allows separate settings (color, brightness, tint etc.) for each input as well as 8 locking memories to prevent unwanted adjustments of image parameters. There are also user adjustments for gamma as well as drives and cuts for white balance adjustments.

Panasonic boasts a new improved image processor not found in its consumer panels, as well as a full bypass mode for buyers that would prefer an upgraded external scaler that’s built into some top line surround sound receivers and pre/processors or a separate scaler such as the Flexible Picture Systems HQV Insight with the Silicon Optix Realta chip.

Prior to making my viewing observations, I optimized the user controls and calibrated the TH-65VX1000 very close to d6500K ideal color temperature. All measurements were made after calibration. Image brightness using a 10% window pattern at 100IRE measured 30.5ft. Lamberts, a level comparable to top rated calibrated LCDs and plasma panels previously tested. Next primary color points were measured. The results:

Red x.666 y.323
Green x.265 y.660
Blue x.154 y.068

These results are close to the Digital Cinema Initiative Standard:
DCI Stan Red x .680 y.320
DCI Stan Green x .265 y.690
DCI Stand Blue x.150 y.060.

The primary color coordinates of red and blue were close the ones I recorded from the latest 50” Pioneer Elite Kuro HDTV and measured:

Color Space 1 Red x .670 y.322
Color Space 1 Green x. 269 y.654
Color Space 1 Blue x. 146 y.059

Next, internal scaler tests were performed. Using 1080i signal, I checked deinterlacing and 3:2 film conversion. The Premier passed both tests making it the first Panasonic plasma with perfect 3:2 HD processing. Static and motion resolution came in at 1080 and 850 lines respectively, slightly shy of the 900 line plasma record, but better than any LCD tested to date. The Panasonic has full bandwidth clear showing black and white sing pixel wide vertical lines. There are the usual aspect ratio controls including 1:1 that was verified to produce an image with no overscan.

A Panasonic spokesman said this is panel has a new signal processor chip, and it did a good job with HD sources and withg the Silicon Optix HQV HD jaggies tests. However, it did a poor job on the standard definiton (480i) Silicon Optix jaggies tests and only a fair job on the SD waving flag test.

With all adjustments and tests completed, I conducted a side by side comparison with the latest generation Pioneer Kuro 50”. The results proved interesting. The Pioneer won on ultimate black level, being a smidgen darker than the Panasonic. Both displays blacks were too dark to be measured accurately using my light meter. With the lights off, and 2:35 content on screen, I could not discern where the bezel ended and the panel began producing the black bars of the letterboxed 2:35 image on either display.
I compared a number of Blu-ray discs and HD cable fare with the two displays side by side. Both panels produced excellent images. However, the Pioneer’s anti-reflective screen coating proved more effective than the one Panasonic employs, in reducing in-room reflections. The extra effectiveness came at a cost; it adds a purple-reddish tint to the image that was clearly seen with both displays side by side. Calibration was not a solution; it is the nature of the KURO panel.

The other major difference between the KURO and the Panasonic Premiere is the way they revealed dark detail. The KURO takes a higher level signal to come out of black, which caused details in dark movies (think Batman Begins and Alien Versus Predator) to be obscured. The same content on the Panasonic revealed the dark details the KURO hid.

The conclusion? The new Panasonic TH-65VX100 is overall the best flat panel tested to date, and should be considered by anyone contemplating a flat screen display in the 60”-65” screen size range.

Copyright ©2008 Gary Merson/HD Guru® All rights reserved. HD GURU is a registered trademark. The content and photos within may not be distributed electronically or copied mechanically without specific written permission.

Mitsubishi’s soon to be released LASERVUE rear projection TV has been receiving a great deal of attention lately at the expense of its 2008 line of noteworthy LCD HDTVs.

Last year Mitsubishi introduced a line of full-featured 1080p LCD HDTVs featuring 120 Hz refresh rate, CableCARD, TV Guide and exceptionally thin bezels (less than one inch) that allow, for example, a 46” panel like the new set reviewed here, to fit in the same space as a 42” set with a standard bezel.

This year’s line retains all of last years hot features, while adding updated “judder-free” 120 Hz signal processing and a TV first: a built-in, 5.1 surround sound audio system.  You remember loudspeakers?  Those old-fashioned “thingies” that turn your favorite stunning high def movie into a “talkie” by adding dialog, music and sound effects?

Mitsubishi engineers managed to place a sound bar the company calls an Integrated Sound Projector (iSP) within the cabinet that effectively produces sound from the front, sides and rear—minus the wiring and amplification clutter that normally are required—from any of the set’s four HDMI connectors.

The LT-46149 ($2799 MAP) measures (inches) 29.9 H x 42” W x 4.8” and weighs 64.4 lbs. (without included table stand).  The remote control backlight made operation in a dark room easy.  The on-screen menu is a traditional layered structure.  My only complaint is the 5-second time-out, which occasionally is not sufficient to make adjustments and which then requires the re-entering of the menu selection. Mitsubishi should either lengthen the time-out or add a “10 second till menu disappears” option.

This Mitsubishi is among the most full featured LCD HDTVs available for 2008.  Many other top of the line LCDs incorporate 120 Hz, judder free display film conversion, variable backlight and 24 Hz input, but few include TV Guide Daily (a free program guide service) and CableCARD— a feature that permits viewing standard and premium subscribed programming without a cable box (on most cable systems).  Also included is a fully and easily programmable learning remote control.

The LT-46149 has a plethora of inputs including two antenna/cable input jacks (a rarity today: most 2008 HDTVs now only have one), the four aforementioned HDMI jacks, three composite video jacks, one S-Video input, three component video inputs and a USB jack for cameras and JPEG files.  There are also 5 pairs of analog audio inputs.

Performance

The out of the box brightness (white) level measured a blazing 88-foot lamberts—far too high for any sanely lit viewing environment.  Black measured at .22 ft. lamberts—too bright of a level for optimum viewing in a room that has low to moderate amounts of ambient light, as it produces gray looking blacks.

Changing the picture mode from “Brilliant” (showroom) to “Natural” (in-home) and lowering the “backlight” control from maximum to “25″ (around 30%) reduced the black level to 0.023 ft lamberts—a level comparable to many top-of-the- line LCD sets.  The calibrated image brightness produced 26 ft. lamberts—making a bright, snappy picture that can be viewed comfortably in most rooms.

Changing the color temperature setting from factory default  “High” to “Low” achieved neutral dark grays and blacks with, slightly bluish whites, and near-whites.  Utilizing the controls within the LT-46149’s service menu and a Photo Research spectroradiometer corrected these issues.  Finally, adjustments of the standard user accessible controls (color, tint, contrast etc) and the TV’s (user selected) Perfect Color Control resulted in a very pleasing, very accurate image.

The only area where the Mitsubishi fell short (as a number of other flat panels do) was the primary color point of green, which measured a slightly towards blue and slightly oversaturated.  The primary points of Blue were “spot on” the HDTV standards; and red was within .002 (x&y).  The readings were (with the HDTV standard numbers in parenthesis) Red .x .642 (.640) y.332 (.330); Green x .256 (.300) y.632 (.600); Blue x .15 (.15) y .06 (.06).

Using the Silicon Optix HQV Blu-ray test disc to test signal processing I confirmed that the set properly de-interlaced 1080i content and displayed all 1080 lines of resolution contained within a 1080i signal.  The 3:2 film conversion test failed, producing noise at the edges.  Failure of the 1080i film test is something many other top-of-the-line 2008 sets have in common with this Mitsubishi.  The jaggies test produced few artifacts, earning an “excellent” rating.  The noise test revealed only a slight effect when selecting the “High” setting of noise reduction circuit to reduce random video noise.

The upconversion of 480i signals using the standard def HQV test disc produced mixed results.  The set’s processor passed the single bar “jaggies” test with a “good” rating, while failing the three bar, flag, and detail tests.

These issues can be bypassed when viewing DVDs by using an upconverting player with better internal scaling such as those equipped with the Silicon Optix Reon or Realta chips.  The set failed the 480i 3:2 film test as well.  According to Mitsubishi, the 3:2 works at 480i but the circuit activates too slowly for the HQV racecar test sequence.

The standard definition noise reduction circuit was excellent, with some of the best test results of any HDTV tested to date.  It does a tremendous job with the simulated noisy broadcasts and poor video test signals.

The Mitsubishi passed the 1:1 aspect and bandwidth test, proving this Mitsubishi can resolve all the fine detail within a top quality HDTV source,  down to a single pixel and display all of an HDTV image without cropping (“overscan”).

The set’s static and motion resolution tests provided a result which put it at the top of all the standard (CCFL) backlit 120 HZ flat panels tested to date, with full 1080 line “static” resolution (per picture height) and 620 lines of motion resolution.  Only LED backlit LCDs and Plasma flat panels have tested higher in motion detail. The ability to handle motion well is a necessity for watching any fast moving sports programs, especially football.

The dejudder circuit has three settings (“Off”, “Standard” and “High”).  The “Standard” setting reduced judder (seen as jerkiness on horizontal pans with film-based content, due to 3:2 conversion of 24 frames per second into 60 fps).  The “High” setting eliminated judder, but also smoothed the image to the point where all film based content appeared to have the look of video tape with no film grain visible. The image image that was reminiscent of viewing an HD episode of the video taped daytime drama “The Young and the Restless”. Full dejudder circuits on all of the other 120 Hz sets test produced the same type of artifact.  Some consumers seem to like the effect, but I feel it detracts from the film experience.

Audio

The 16 speaker integrated sound bar, aided with the “on screen” set-up guide produced an amazing surround sound effect (using the built-in test signals) which creating the illusion that the source was emanating from the center, left front, right front, sides and behind me.  The technology to pull it off is similar to the one used in Yamaha’s highly rated sound bars, though somewhat downsized to fit nicely beneath the 46” screen.  Once the iSP was optimized for the room, the LT-46149 delivered the promise of built-in surround sound.  My only dispute, the .1 designation, which stands for a low bass channel, and needs to have the frequencies handled by a subwoofer.  However, the LT-46149 has a subwoofer channel output (RCA jack) that can be connected to any powered subwoofer to add low bass response found in sources such as Blu-ray movie discs and many HDTV cable and broadcast programs.  I sampled a number of HDTV programs with and without a powered subwoofer connected.  The subwoofer added oomph to explosions and other sound effects as expected, though the lack of the subwoofer did not detract from the surround sound separation or clarity.

The sound pressure level peaked at an ample 97 decibels at 10 feet, without any audible clipping distortion (measurement was made without a connected subwoofer).  The sound that emanated from the iSP did not have the point focus or power of a full blown, expensive surround sound receiver with discrete speakers.  However, the iSP produced a far more satisfying sonic experience than the audio quality I have hear from lower end “Home Theater in a Box” systems with 5 separate speakers .

Simply stated, the LT-46149’s built-in iSP Dolby Digital surround sound provides the highest level of audio sound quality of any HDTV I have every tested!

A variety of Blu-ray discs were sampled.  A stand out was the opening color sequence of Casino Royale with its fast motion, fine details, and wide variations of lighting and effects.  When played with the iSP cranking, one clearly hears the gunshots ricocheting of the side walls. I felt engulfed by the crowd in Madagascar. Overall, the brilliant Bond soundtrack provided an enveloping smorgasbord of aural delights. It’s pretty amazing, considering all the sound heard was being generated by the built-in TV speakers directly in front of me.

The Verdict
Mitsubishi has created an HDTV first, combining a high quality LCD flat panel with a one-piece built-in surround sound system.  Considering this panel’s good color accuracy, fast motion sharpness, and fine HD bandwidth performance, even without the integrated sound projector, HD Guru  would rank it near the top of the LCD heap.  As readers will learn next month when the HD Guru publishes its 100 model HDTV test report, many other LCDs have inferior HD performance when measuring static and motion resolution and bandwidth.  The only HD area where the Mitsubishi LT-46149 did not excel was its black level, where it is average compared to a number of other LCD displays and not as good as some other top of the line models.

Which potential HDTV buyer should consider this Mitsubishi?  Anyone that is interested in superior audio without the wiring or complexity of an external audio system in a room or viewing environment that does not lend itself well to surround sound systems.  Immediately bedrooms, secondary rooms such as a den and rooms with brick, stone or plaster walls come to mind.

The LT-46149 overall image quality rates an HD GURU recommended ♥♥♥.  Add another ♥ for its groundbreaking, built-in surround sound system.

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