Panasonic TC-P50X60 (TCP50X60) Review

50 inch 720p Plasma HDTV

More on the TC-P50X60

The TC-P50S60 vs the TC-P50X60 TC-P50X60 Specifications

The TC-P50X60 is largest of the 720p plasmas in the 2013/14 Panasonic lineup. Panasonic made it to be an all out budget model by stripping just about all of the features from the X60. You don't get a full resolution display, 3D playback, or any internet features. The resolution may be issue for some. A 50 inch TV has to stretch content a good bit since most cable and broadcast content is still 720p or 1080i. Picture quality is strong for a low end plasma and is a strong competitor against low end LCD and LED displays. This is truly a budget plasma and the price reflects the feature set.

Even Panasonic plasmas at the bottom of the totem pole can produce some great colors. Black levels are also up to par on this budget plasma TV

Black Levels

The TC-P50X60 presents strong Black levels like most plasma TVs. Missing are the added bells and whistles like the Infinite Black Pro panels on the top end models, but the performance is strong anyway. Plasma technology has an advantage over budget LED and LCDs from the beginning, and it is aparent on the TCP50X60.

Side Viewing Angles

An immediate advantage in going with a plasma TV is the pretty much perfect range of viewing angles. The TC-P50X60 does not have color and contrast degradation as the viewing position moves through the viewing angles. Full contrast and color remain until you are unable to view the picture at all.

This shot shows off the design of the X60 series

Media Player

Since the X60 series forgoes any sort of internet connection, the USB media player might get some attention. This is useful for watching content, listening to music, or viewing photos from a USB source. It might be an external hard drive or a thumb drive. It is a great alternative to a Roku box or game console for bringing content to the TC-P50X60.

Inputs

Since the TC-P50X60 resides at the bottom of the plasma lineup, connectivity is very limited. You only one USB port and two HDMI spots. The one USB port may not end up being an issue if all you do is connect an external drive for watching content or viewing pictures every so often. Two HDMI connectors is pretty limiting, but won't ruin the value of the set.