Panasonic has been doing a good job in the plasma arena for a few years now and still proves to be consistent with its release of the Panasonic TH-50PF11UK. Panasonic might have business-users in mind when designing this model because of its professional look and features.
Good Deals
For those who are into minimalist designs, the TH-50PF11UK will surely fit in. The huge screen is surrounded by a thin grayish metal frame with no unnecessary extras. Although its design layout is minimal, the weight is a different matter. Its total weight amounts to 79.4 lbs. The clicker included in this model is better than most others because of the dedicated buttons for each main menu option which makes it easier for users to adjust some settings.
Picture quality is also not compromised in this Panasonic model. The deep black levels are comparable to most plasmas and it is noticeable that the company indeed improved in this respect. Color decoding and temperature are great which can even be better adjusted with the different settings available in the menu.
Using standard definition source, the TH-50PF11UK also performed nicely, as well as when connected to a PC. The texts are crisp and there is just minimal edge enhancement upon lowering the Sharpness setting.
More Considerations
Unlike most consumer-friendly displays, the Panasonic TH-50PF11UK does not include a stand or a wall-mount, neither a built-in speaker when it is purchased. Hence, buyers need to purchase these items separately, which add to the total cost of this panel. Also, this model is not exactly a TV in itself as it does not have an integrated tuner. Over-the-air broadcasts will not work here; the user needs to connect to an external cable or satellite box in order to watch TV programs.
This model also needs to enhance a bit more in terms of primary colors accuracy. Although after adjusting a few settings the colors appear realistic, the default settings would initially display a few pale colors. Power users will have no problems with this model as there are several adjustments that can be done, aside from the usual white balance and gamma settings. However, for an average consumer who is just mainly interested in getting great picture, this may not be helpful.
In terms of connectivity, the TH-50PF11UK has 2 HDMI ports (unlike most that already have 3), a VGA port for computers, and a component-video BNC-connector. These are very few compared to the usual displays that would have composite video inputs and a USB port for additional functionality.
The Panasonic TH-50PF11UK, indeed, is a professional plasma display which would benefit high-end and business users more than the regular household consumer. With the picture quality at par with the other plasma panels, this model is not that bad after all.