Panasonic TX-P42X10B review

We've got an exclusive review of the first of Panasonic's new 2009 plasmas. It may 'only' be HD-ready resolution, but don't let that put you off Tested at £700

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

Get beyond the unglamorous resolution and the TX-P42X10B is nothing but value

Pros

  • +

    Great picture performance at the price

  • +

    pleasant enough design

Cons

  • -

    Gives some detail and definition away to Full HD screens

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

We've reason to be grateful to Panasonic for the TX-P42X10B. Spring is just around the corner, when TV manufacturers' fancy turns to unleashing a torrent of new products – so to get the first of Panasonic's 2009 Viera range a little ahead of the deluge can only be good news.

And the good news keeps on coming: if you accept the TX-P42X10B for what it is, it's a great-value plasma TV.

However, there's one significant hurdle to overcome before you add the Pana to your shortlist: its less-than fashionable 1024 x 768, HD-Ready resolution.

Naturally, the 'X10B's price reflects the relative poverty of its resolution, but some Blu-ray-owning consumers might be inclined to restrict their search to Full HD screens only. In this instance, that would be a mistake.

Sensible spec for the money
After all, in every other respect the Pana's got perfectly respectable specs. Three HDMI inputs should be plenty, and each of the less exciting inputs (component, RGB Scart, S-Video and composite) is represented too.

Twin tuners is only sensible, and an SD card-reader is a nice touch. The 'X10B's glossily finished, decently slim and the on-screen menus are the usual Panasonic exemplars of good sense.

Only the new remote control, visually familiar but feeling cheaper and nastier than before, strikes a false note.

We started with the digital and analogue TV tuners, and the Pana impresses from the off. It can't make David Dickinson look normal, obviously, but the people around him enjoy natural skin-tones.

See all our TV Best Buys

The whole colour palette is convincingly neutral, in fact, and the Pana's plasma technology virtually guarantees deep, satisfying black tones.

Switching to DVD content, and our yet-to-be-bettered-for-testing-purposes copy of Training Day, and the 'X10B continues the good work.

Scaling the 576-resolution images to fit its panel confidently, the Pana restates all the admirable qualities of its TV picture and adds in greater stability and detail retrieval.

It's prone to the occasional tizzy when asked to track unpredictable or super-fast motion, but on the whole it's most enjoyable.

Downscaled Blu-ray looks good
Unsurprisingly, it looks its best with Blu-ray images, even if they are downscaled from 1080p. The truly risible RocknRolla shows off the 'X10B's ability with colours in general and blacks in particular – contrasts are especially impressive here, and movement is assured.

There's an inevitable shortage of detail when compared to similarly sized Full HD sets, and a corresponding hint of softness to edges – but then 42in Full HD plasmas don't often cost £700, do they?

Across all inputs and sources, sound is of the ho-hum variety – no weight to speak of, little in the way of dynamic heft and prone to sibilance at volume – but that, frankly, is par for the course at this sort of price.

And, frankly, it's not enough to put us off the Panasonic TX-P42X10B – it bodes very well for the rest of Panasonic's 2009 range.

See all Panasonic TV reviews

What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

Read more about how we test