Panasonic TC-P54V10

The same basic story stays true for the TC-PV10 series, but it's even better than the G10. This Panasonic plasma has the same deep blacks that grace its less expensive little brother, and adds a couple of key improvements: better video processing to handle 1080p/24 sources, and more picture adjustments that allow it to transcend the limitations of THX mode. Its picture should satisfy all but the pickiest of videophiles, and it also outperforms any LCD based display, LED or otherwise, we've ever tested.

Beyond image quality, the V10 delivers plenty of features and an eye catching one sheet of glass design, for a combination that deserves serious consideration from buyers willing to pay for it. The 50 inch Panasonic TC-P50V10, but this review also applies to the 54 inch Panasonic TC-P54V10. The two sizes share identical specs and should have very similar picture quality.

The Panasonic TC-PV10 series also includes 58 and 65 inch models, but we will review those larger sizes separately when review samples are available later in 2009. Panasonic TC-PV10 is one sleek plasma. Its main external differentiator is what the company calls "one sheet of glass" design, where a pane of glass extends beyond the edge of the screen and over the bezel itself, leading to a seamless look that's even more impressive in person than in pictures.

(It's worth noting that only the 50 and 54 inch models feature the one sheet design the larger members of the series have the more traditional, visually separate bezel around the screen). The V10 series eschews the relatively bright silver fade along the bottom of the frame seen on the company's step down TC-PG10 models, instead opting for a much subtler silver accent that arcs slightly upward in the middle.

We think the V10 looks more attractive and sophisticated than the G10, and indeed it's one of the coolest looking TV designs we've seen this year. As Panasonic's nearly top of the line plasma series, excepting the Z1, the V10 models offer a couple of extras. One is the ability to refresh the screen at 96Hz, which allows the TV to properly maintain the cadence of film when fed a 1080p/24 source typically from a Blu-ray player (the refresh rate remains fixed at the standard 60Hz for non-1080p/24 sources).

The V10 also has a 48Hz setting, but we recommend using 96Hz instead since the 48Hz option can introduce flicker. (Here's where we mention that, like all Panasonic plasmas, the V10's spec sheet includes mention of a 600Hz subfield drive. Our best advice is to ignore this spec it has no visible bearing on picture quality, aside from a slight improvement in motion resolution that's extremely difficult to see.)