Mfarhanonline Tech News: Panasonic’s enviable reputation is based on a combination of rip-snorting high-end screens and solidly respectable everyday sets. The X20 Series represents Panasonic’s current plasma value offering; it lacks much of the more advanced functions seen further up Panasonic’s range, but for frugal buyers who don’t want to pay for extra bells and whistles, it delivers big performance bangs for a modest buck. The TX-P37X20 enjoys a surprisingly solid construction, although it’s numbingly ordinary from a design point of view. This not-so-thin (94 mm) flatscreen has a glossy plastic frame and standard-issue oval stand. The textured plastic bezel and pedestal certainly won’t be to everyone’s taste. The best you can say about the styling is that it’ll blend with most décor and not attract undue attention to itself. The TX-P37X20 has a resolution of 1,024 x 720 pixels. Its sibling screens (the TX-P42X20 and TX-P50X20) are 1,024 x 768-pixel models. This makes them HD ready, rather than Full HD, though the extent to which this represents a sacrifices entirely depends on the type of video sources you tend to use. If Blu-ray isn’t high on your agenda, you won’t suffer a significant visual penalty. Perceivable differences between a 1080p and 720p image are often governed more by screen size and viewing distance than raw resolution. It is arguable, even, that a 720p screen is an advantage on a screen of this size as it uses larger pixels than a 1080p model and is consequently significantly brighter. For plasma viewers this is a real plus, as it enables the TV to perform well in rooms with high ambient brightness. All the X20 models offer 100Hz Double Scanning. In the ever escalating war of numerical specification claims, 100Hz is pretty old hat, but it’s certainly good enough to remove traces o! f image flicker commonly associated with 50Hz displays. The remote control is a standard Panasonic design with directional arrows and a central OK confirmation button. It’s easy enough to master. AV inputs are toggled through with the Input TV/AV button at the top of the remote. Rear-side connections include just two HDMI inputs, component video, a pair of Scarts and phono stereo and optical digital audio outputs. Additional side inputs include a CI (Conditional Access) slot, a third HDMI input and a set of AV phonos. There’s also a mains power switch. The side is also where you’ll find an SD card reader with Viera media player software; this makes playback of digital still images and AVCHD movies a snap. Browsing pictures is made easy through thumbnails, and you can even enhance your slideshows with background music and assorted transitional effects (Fade, Slide, Dissolve etc) Motion. Video file playback support covers AVCHD, AVCHD Lite, MPEG2 and H.264/AVC formats. The Media Player interface is really rather nice. It’s a shame Panasonic couldn’t stretch to the inclusion of a USB input on this set, for additional multimedia playback support. The TV also supports CEC control over HDMI as standard. CEC is the (almost) generic function that enables a single remote to control multiple devices linked by HDMI. Panasonic calls its version of the system Viera Link. On the TX-P37X20 it’s been embellished with compatibility for the brand’s Lumix digital cameras. Simply connect your shooter via HDMI and you’re granted remote control over all images stored on the camera. Perhaps the most significant feature omission here is a Freeview HD tuner. For many shortlisters, this alone will rule the screen out of contention. It’s certainly a shame, given the HD performance of the panel itself. Of course, the lack of Freeview HD is less significant if you already subscribe to Sky+HD or Virgin media pay-per-view (PPV) services. Little about using this stripped down set is likely ! to cause consternation. The interface is Panasonic’s usual, box-like affair, with nested functions and it’s easy enough to use. There is also the horizontal Viera Tools bar, which enables a more graphical navigation. Options here include a Pause Live TV button, Photo and Video modes (for playing back content from an SD card and Viera Link control. During the setup procedure you have the option to set an owner ID. This comprises your name, house number and postcode, protected by a PIN number. It may prove useful should you ever need to recover the set if it goes astray. Tuning channels is fast and straightforward. Once tuned, preferred channels can be added to a Favourites List for quick access; alternatively, you can hide unwanted stations. Given the amount of shopping channel dross on Freeview this is no bad thing. All hidden channels can be recalled from banishment via a simple Reveal/Hide key press. If you do take a bunch of channels off the EPG grid, make sure the rest of the family know what you’ve removed from sight, else it could lead to a lot of confusion. Helpfully, you can rename your AV inputs to better reflect the way you use your system, perhaps adding brand names to specific HDMI inputs (eg Sky box). This should make the set easier for everyone to use. Panasonic’s seven day programme guide, supplied by GuidePlus, will never win prizes for its design. The vertical ad slot (revenues from which apparently do not go to Panasonic, but to GuidePlus’ owners, Gemstar) restricts the amount of screen space available for programme listings. That said, the Display Information banner pulled up over broadcast TV is neatly done. It relays channel number and station name, the programme’s start and finish times and relays a little fuel gauge graphic which confirms how much of the show is left to go. The TV itself offers a variety of aspect ratios (a trio of zooms, 4:3, 14:9 and 16:9). There’s an Overscan defeat for the Auto and 16:9 modes that enables you to prevent any of ! the pict ure information from being lost behind the bezel.There is also an Off Timer, should you have need of such a thing. One aspect of the set that could be easily overlooked is its Radio Mode, which turns off the picture display automatically when a radio channel is selected. This is a boon for anyone who likes to use their Sky and Freeview boxes to listen to radio stations. Not only does this mode reduce power consumption, it also prevents any unwanted image retention from static logos. The screen is only in a sleep mode, and pops back to life when any button is pressed on the remote. The TX-P37X20 performs well with a combination of test patterns and content types. Using standard monoscope test images, clarity is dictated by the native resolution of the panel; consequently a 1,080-line test signal maxes out at 720 lines on screen and much of this definition is retained during movement. A test developed by the Advanced PDP Development Centre, sporting an ever-decreasing graticule grid, reveals only a modest loss of detail. Scrolling horizontally at 6.5ppf (pixels per frame), image definition dips to around 700 lines. A little more detail is shed when the speed of the pattern increases to 12.5ppf. A secondary test pattern, comprising of scrolling Japanese and English text, shows just how robust the image quality is, with no smudging at 100, 50 and 30 per cent brightness. The set only offers simple picture parameter control (in keeping with its likely use). There’s the various viewing modes (Dynamic, Normal, Cinema, True Cinema and Game), plus basics like Brightness, Colour and Sharpness, plus colour balance. There’s not much picture processing beyond this, although you can elect to engage C.A.T.S. (Contrast Automatic Tracking System), which automatically tweaks settings depending on ambient room lighting, P-NR (Picture Noise Reduction) noise reduction and 3D-Comb, which purports to make still images more vivid. You can’t fiddle around with gamma levels, although the TX-P37X20 does use Panaso! nic̵ 7;s proprietary Real Black Drive system, which in itself is rather adept. Using pre-discharge control technology, it keeps phosphors under tight reign allowing crisp, deep blacks to sit alongside peak whites. Contrast is rated by Panasonic at 2,000,000:1. This is a dynamic, rather than a native figure, so take it with a big pinch of salt. However, a test sequence of the Tokyo tower, shot at night, reveals just how dynamic images can look. While the night sky is convincingly black, the neon highlights on the tower and brightly lit surrounding trees, give tremendous depth to the image. A 20/20 B&W scale confirms this excellent greyscale performance. Unlike competitively priced LCD screens, which often suffer with uneven backlighting (be it LED or CCFL), the smooth tonality of the Panasonic image is unquestionable. The viewing angle is also first rate. Plasma is intrinsically more supportive of wider viewing angles than LCD/LED screens, retaining colour and contrast when viewed off axis. Colour fidelity is terrific. Hues ping, particularly reds. A test sequence comprising brass instruments and varnished violins looks completely natural. For gamers, there’s a dedicated mode; the lighting fast response of the panel makes it a fine choice for rapidly moving titles such as Call of Duty: Black Ops . Panasonic rates the response time on this panel at 0.001ms. To help prevent screen retention, contrast is also lowered automatically after a few minutes if no control signals are sent to the set, or no operations are performed. Low contrast negates any likelihood of screenburn. Despite the lack of headline grabbing fast frame rates, this screen is wonderfully smooth. A cinematic panning test from Sleeping Beauty (Blu-ray) has Prince Charming cantering behind a rocky outcrop with buttery ease; there’s no judder. Yet despite this glacial smoothness, the screen always looks cinematic. Panasonic’s 100Hz IFC processing does not add any additional (unwanted) artefacts to the image. Audio performance ! is great for a screen of this size. There’s enough power on tap to satisfy causal viewers and a trio of modes are available to tailor the sound when required (Music, Speech, User). When in the User mode, a simple graphic equaliser becomes available. For a little extra audio whammy there’s V-Audio processing, which comes in two flavours: the standard engagement offers a wider stereo soundstage, while V-Audio Surround attempts to offer a more immersive listening experience. In truth it simply widens the stereo soundstage even more, but some might enjoy the effect. The screen also supports the Audio Description service. This opens up an additional sound track that narrates events on screen for visually impaired viewers. You can switch the service to Auto or Off, and adjust the volume of the description sound track itself. Value For those on a tight budget, this Panasonic represents tremendous value if you rate picture performance above media streaming and network connectivity. The fact that the screen is 720p will be an issue for some, particularly if it’s to be paired with a Blu-ray player, but the fact remains it gives a bright, sharp, stable image that’s easy to appreciate. We think you’ll struggle to find a comparably priced TV able to compare when it comes to image quality. Despite its distinctly unglamorous demeanour and sparse feature set, the TX-P37X20 is a screen that rewards cautious investors. It offers a picture quality that’s very easy to live with and comes with few caveats outside of the HD ready nature of the panel itself. To get the best from the model, partner it with a hi-def capable set-top box, with an output matched to 720p. The speed and smoothness of the TX-P37X20, meanwhile, is ideally suited to fast moving action games. We liked The set’s fine motion resolution performance and super-smooth panning, not to mention its great dynamics; the brightness of the 720p panel and its well considered usability also impress. We disliked The lack of any network ! function and the absence of a USB port for local media playback; the lack of a Freeview HD tuner also dents its appeal. Verdict If you are in the market for a low cost, high-performing plasma this sub 40-incher is certainly worth an audition. It may lack cutting edge niceties, but it’s well mannered and undeniably able. Panasonic may have stripped its plasma proposition back to basics but it hasn’t lost sight of what gives the technology an edge. We rate this as a bargain value buy. 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