Why it's a best pick:
The Panasonic TC-P58V10 is one of the best performing HDTVs on the market, and with a massive 58” display, it's sure to impress your friends on Sundays. This plasma TV delivers exceptional image quality with incredibly deep blacks and accurate colors – especially once calibrated using the THX mode, which makes it a breeze to obtain an optimal picture out of the box without having to fuss with adjustable settings. Plasmas generally offer better motion performance than LCD TVs, and the TC-P58V10 is no exception, ensuring fast-motion sequences such as those in sports programs will be blur-free. The TC-P58V10 offers plenty of connectivity options with four HDMI inputs (including one on the side), composite and S-video, two component inputs, and a PC input. There’s also an Ethernet port for accessing content via VieraCast including Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube videos, and stocks. If 58” is too large for your room, there’s also 54” and 50” versions that perform equally as well.
Average User Rating:
(
12 total reviews)
Beautiful and Natural September 30 2009I've been looking to upgrade my old 42" plasma for over a year, and was tempted to get a current generation LCD because their images seem to "pop" in store...read full review
Very happy with my choice September 19 2009I've had this Panasonic TC P58V10 for a little over 2 weeks now, and I'm extremely pleased with it. I was debating between the 58" and the 65" model, but ...read full review
VERY impressive HDTV August 26 2009After returning 2 55" samsung LCD screens because of defects and poor picture quality I decided to try a plasma. I have been an LCD man for a few years no...read full review
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Manufacturer Description: The Panasonic TCP-58V10 HDTV television is only 2 inches thick and has a built-in HDTV Tuner. The Panasonic TCP-58V10 HDTV offers 40,000:1 contrast ratio, enjoy the internet contents right on your TV. With VIERA CAST technology, you can enjoy online content such as videos, photos, weather and stock information through an easy-to-use Web interface that's built into the TV.
First the picture is GORGEOUS in all the right ways. This is THE high class "Couture" way to make TV image -- perfectly focused, stunningly accurate. Definitely NOT the trashy cartoonish color and lack of fidelity that other sets (even from the same maker's lower price points) offer.
That said Panasonic has LOTS of room for improvement in some other areas. The criticisms I am leveling come from some one that has been a A/V hobbyist since way back in the Betamax and LaserVision days. I have had top quality sets for over 20 years and this is my second high end flat panel HDTV. I am not comparing the "Panasonic Way" to one particular set, but to my IDEAL set:
OTA tuner is slow. Despite being supplied with enough signal via an roof top antenna to "peg the meter" the circuitry that Panasonic has lags when changing channels. Not so long that you think some has broken, but still enough that the screen goes completely dark, your spouse notices and you feel a little annoyed.
The remote, for a set that costs thousands of dollars looks cheap, feels too lightweight and wastes TONS of space with buttons you may NEVER use. I have programmable remotes from several makers and the ones that feel best in the hand have a certain heft to them. Panasonic feels like something that you got for free. That would be excusable if the had a great button layout. They do not. They waste the valuable space over the "center directional controller" with THREE dedicated buttons for their "Viera" branded connectivity. The "light" lets only a weak glow out from behind the channel up/down and volume rockers. Believe me those are the last two buttons you need in the dark. On a set of this super picture quality I would have LOVED to have multiple PIP options. None, nada zip. On a set of this quality I would expect to have dedicated access to the specific inputs. Nope. On a set of this quality I would expect the main remote to be programmable / universal/ learning. Not Panasonic. Not a deal killer, as the picture REALLY IS that good, but sorta annoying.
Other little flaws that Panasonic should improve upon include things that most people won't even notice. A handful of really thoughtful manufactures put that extra pit of care into the design of the various case elements that "show they care". From the location and quality of the power buttons, to the finish of the edges of the case so that the whole thing looks beautiful on or off, to the providing adequate attachments / spacing for installers to hide wires and adapters behind this set Panasonic is not yet at the pinnacles that other firms are / have been. Even the Panasonice logo itself is basically a glued on thing while many other firms have gone with far more subtle and interesting engraved / embossed / etched implementations.
While none of this detract from HOW BEAUTIFUL this set's picture is, the "onwership experience" is nicer with other sets from firms that make their higher level stuff more special.
VieraCast is pretty weak right now. I guess the people that work for Panasonic just have not given much thought to the ways to get online content to the buyers of this set. I am not going to pay Amazon prices for content that is not susceptible to the vagaries of internet streaming delivery. I can't search YouTube with essentially a cell phone keypad. I am kind of insulted with how basic the Bloomberg headlines are. This COULD BE a very cool feature that MIGHT be improved with some rethinking of what a consumer would like to see when they are not watching any particular channel, but in its current incarnation VieraCast is not answer that need, nor is it a good alternative to BluRay.
In summary: If you want an AWESOME set with 58" stunning inches of perfect picture buy this today. If Panasonic wants to lay waste to its competitors it has the ability to do the firmware upgrades to this set over the included VieraCast. If Panasonic hires some people with a background in designing thinks like personal laptops, MP3 players and smartphones they could tweak this into a total experience that will be unbeatable...
