Last week Panasonic personnel met with members of the press to display and discuss its 2011 HDTVs, disc players and home theater systems. We took the opportunity to learn more about plasma performance improvements with a Panasonic engineer and product manager on hand for the event. The changes are dramatic especially regarding the lowering of minimum black levels now claimed to be reduced down to the levels of the legendary Pioneer Kuro plasmas (more below) and other performance improvements.
Changes
Panasonic changed the name of its plasma panels from Neo PDP to Neo Plasma. Along with the name change comes a number of claimed refinements in its plasma tech.
By improving the electrode structure Panasonic achieved a 15% increase in luminance efficiency providing equal image brightness with less power. Higher speed phosphors also increase energy efficiency along with a reduction in decay time resulting in sharper images when viewing 2D and 3D content during motion sequences.
The slimmer rib structure produces a wider aperture meaning a higher percent of surface area is lit up with the 2011 models.
The improved louver structure of the anti-reflective filter provides better ambient light rejection and deeper black levels (more below).
Motion Resolution
As part of our TV test regimen, HD Guru measures motion picture resolution using the industry standard 800 pixels per second. The 2010 models tested achieved full 1080 line (per picture height) at this speed. Panasonic’s improvements in its 2011 Neo plasma panels (found in its S, ST, GT and VT series products) will provide full motion resolution with 50% faster motion, (1200 pixels per second) see photo.
3D Crosstalk
2011 Panasonic 3D Neo PDP models (ST30, GT30 and VT30 series) have reduced crosstalk than the 2010 models by changing the sub-pix firing sequence from lowest then highest level to highest then lowest level. See photo above (note: the 2010 Panasonics have the lowest crosstalk [ghosting] of any 2010s we tested)
Black Levels
HD Guru spoke with a Panasonic engineer regarding black levels of its new 2011 series. We were told the 2011 ST series models has black that are at the same level of the 2010 G series which came in .008 ft lamberts. The new GT30 models have a black level that the same as the 2010 VT series, which we measured at .004 ft lamberts. The new VT30 models, due to ship this May, will have levels about half of the 2010 VT series, which should put them up against the minimum sensitivity with accuracy of our Konica-Minolta LS100 light meter and into legendary Kuro levels.
Rising Blacks and Floating Blacks
The 2009 V series had rising minimum black levels confirmed by tests performed by CNet’s David Katzmaier A small number of persons on some TV forums claim “floating blacks” occur at times on earlier Panasonic plasmas during changes of average picture brightness levels. HD Guru has not seen this on any Panasonic plasma tested to date.
Due to pending litigation, Panasonic US would not comment on these topics, however, in a meeting last week of European journalists with Panasonic executives, Andrew Everard of whathifi.com (link) writes Panasonic has eliminated the issue with their 2011 models. Here is the quote  ” Oh and by the way – and for those who obsessively niggle at these things on forums worldwide – both the rising and floating black problems have been addressed, and are sorted in 2011 models. There’s now no black level shift to compensate for stabilising brightness levels after initial use…”
Kuro Level Black Levels
To date, the Pioneer Kuro plasmas (discontinued in 2009) hold the record for the deepest blacks of a plasma display. Backing up the statement from the Panasonic engineer at the New York City press briefing above regarding black levels, Everard reports from Japan the response from Panasonic’s Mitch Mitsuda regarding if the Panasonic plasmas can reproduce deep blacks like those seen in a 2008 Pioneer press demonstration, Mitsuda said “We can reproduce that in 2011 models’ – pause – ‘in a pitch black room’.
Pricing and Availability
Here are the latest retail pricing and release dates for the 2011 Panasonics. For more information on the 2011 Panasonic plasmas, see our article here (link).
Full HD (1080p) 3D Plasma:
- TC-P65VT30 (65-inch class-64.7†measured diagonally)-$4299.95-Available May, 2011
- TC-P55VT30 (55-inch class-55.1†measured diagonally)-$2799.95-Available April, 2011
- TC-P65GT30 (65-inch class-64.7†measured diagonally)-$3699.95-Available May, 2011
- TC-P60GT30 (60-inch class-60.1†measured diagonally)-$2799.95-Available May, 2011
- TC-P55GT30 (55-inch class-55.1†measured diagonally)-$2199.95-Available March, 2011
- TC-P50GT30 (50-inch class-49.9†measured diagonally)-$1899.95-Available March, 2011
- TC-P65ST30 (65-inch class-64.7†measured diagonally)-$3299.95-Available May, 2011
- TC-P60ST30 (60-inch class-60.1†measured diagonally)-$2399.95-Available May, 2011
- TC-P55ST30
(55-inch class-55.1†measured diagonally)-$1799.95-Available February, 2011
- TC-P50ST30
(50-inch class-49.9†measured diagonally)-$1499.95-Available February, 2011
- TC-P46ST30
(46-inch class 46†measured diagonally)-$1299.95-Available February, 2011
- TC-P42ST30
(42-inch class 41.6†measured diagonally)-$1099.95-Available February, 2011
1080p FHD Plasma:
- TC-P60S30
(1080p-60-inch class-60.1†measured diagonally)-$1899.95-Available May, 2011
- TC-P50S30
(1080p-50-inch class-49.9†measured diagonally)-$1099.95-Available February, 2011
- TC-P46S30
(1080p-46-inch class-46†measured diagonally)-$949.95-Available February, 2011
- TC-P42S30
(1080p-42-inch class-41.6†measured diagonally)-$799.95-Available February, 2011
720P HD Plasma:
- TC-P50X3
(720p-50-inch class-49.9†measured diagonally)-$799.95- Available February, 2011
- TC-P46X3
(720p-46-inch class-46†measured diagonally)-$699.95-Available March, 2011
- TC-P42X3
(720p-42-inch class-41.6†measured diagonally)-$599.95-Available February, 2011.
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Has anyone notice any plasma buzz with any of these 2011 Panasonic Plasmas?
You said “The only way to really know black level is to measure in a dark room with a sensitive, accurate instrument” but com’on now, we are humans so the only thing that matters is what our eyes perceive, not some measurement that our eyes don’t even have the sensitivity to discern.
I think people on the AVSForums are obsessed by a measurement that really doesn’t matter in the end. Use your eyes.
you just said his instruments suck, i loled.
you da man hd guru.
also others are complaining about his instruments sensitivity too.
The famous Chad B reviewed the ST30, says the blacks are “ok” , alot of people complaining about how high they are considering all the hype (like in this Panny hype article) about how awesome the blacks should be. example:
“We were told the 2011 ST series models has black that are at the same level of the 2010 G series which came in .008 ft lamberts.”
in chad B’s review he writes
“The black level, measured with a Milori Trichromat-1 meter profiled off an i1Pro Spectro, and with a black blanket blocking any ambient light, measured .0135 fL”
so yea…………. maybe the 2011 GT and VT series, with THX, can improve blacks? they all use the same panels so it doesn’t seem like they would improve much at all.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1319498
The Trichomat-1 is a tri-stimulus contact probe. I am not aware of any of these types of products having a luminance accuracy of under .05 ft. lamberts (and many are only accurate to .1 ft lamberts).
As for all TVs using the same panels, Panasonic calls the VT30 model an infinite black pro 2 panel, while the GT is infinite black. Regardless of how they are achieving claimed deeper blacks, the proof will be in measuring with a meter with better light level accuracy (than a tri-stimulus contact probe) to determine the actual black level. When we get ourhands on a production sample I will make my readings and report them.
My subjective look at the VT30 at CES and at the line show tells me its quite deep. FYI, I place my hands over the screen where there is black content to form a tube to block out as much of the ambient light as possible and then place my eye over my hands. Completely subjective, though one can see how much residual glow there is on the panel. The only way to really know black level is to measure in a dark room with a sensitive, accurate instrument.
HD Guru
Hello,
it seems that also in these new 2011 models the 50 Hz issue has not been resolved.The TVs are adding artifacts on 50 Hz material, while the competition is able to clean them up.
Do you know if there is a plan to release a FW upgrade that solves it?
best regards,
Mark
The “whathifi” article linked above mentions improvements with 50 Hz material. We did not include it as we are a US based website and have no way of viewing such content.
HD Guru
If it can match the ’07 CES demo then it utterly destroys anything Pio ever actually sold. I saw that demo and it was worlds different than my 6020, nice as that is.
It really sounds like Panny has pushed the plasma distinctively forward after a couple years of stagnation and that makes me happy. The TVs that exist are nowhere near the potential of the standards. (Although the standards also need to improve, particularly with respect to color.)
I just hope that the reviews confirm these assertions.
im confused. in the article it says:
“Panasonic’s improvements in its 2011 Neo plasma panels (found in its S, ST, GT and VT series products) will provide full motion resolution with 50% faster motion, (1200 pixels per second) see photo.”
but on Panasonic’s website , under tech specs for the S30 series, motion resolution = 900 lines. whats the deal?
http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/shop/Televisions/VIERA-2011-HDTV-SERIES/Viera-S30-Series-Plasma-HDTV/model.TC-P42S30.S_11002_7000000000000005702#tabsection
An educated guess, Panasonic revised the spec to the 1080 figure after the website was written. I will seek confirmation and update if necessary.
I corrected the typo referred to in your last comment. Thanks.
HD Guru
i think you meant 2011 in this sentence.
” We were told the 2010 ST series models has black that are at the same level of the 2010 G series which came in .008 ft lamberts. “