Performance
The digital tuner provides a good-quality picture for a plasma TV. Watching BBC Breakfast, for instance, you notice that it lacks crispness around the edges of objects, but at the same time colour gradations are smooth, and distracting digital noise is kept at an acceptable level.
Hooking up a Sky HD box, the results are much better. While the PX70's 1,366x768-pixel resolution means you can't take full advantage of Sky HD's 1080i resolution (the TV downscales the picture slightly), there's bags of detail in shows like Lost and movies like Walk The Line. We don't think the HD picture is as crisp as you'd see on a 1,920x1,080 resolution LCD like the Sony KDL-46X2000, though: it's a little softer and there's slightly less detail.
On the other hand, the black levels of this TV are excellent, meaning that you get a convincing, more cinematic contrast range than most LCDs. Black areas of the picture -- the smoke 'monster' in Lost, for example, or the deeper shadows in the background of a scene -- actually look black rather than dark grey. Colour reproduction is also a strong point, especially with HD material, with smooth, gradual light-to-dark transitions rather than ugly 'contours' of colour.
The blur-free motion also suits games perfectly -- even the fastest titles like the adrenaline-charged Motorstorm on PS3.
One issue with the screen is its slightly shiny surface, which reflects a fair bit of ambient light in a reasonably well-lit room. This can make darker images slightly indistinct if you're watching during the day -- unless you shut the curtains.
The built-in speakers perform ably if not outstandingly, with a good balance between power and clarity.
Conclusion
While we'd have preferred this TV to have a 1,920x1,080 'Full HD' resolution so that it could display a little more detail with HD sources, it's certainly one of the most impressive plasma TVs around. Much like the Pioneer PDP-5000EX, it creates a smooth image with convincing colour reproduction and excellent blacks -- and all for about £4,000 less.
It's also impeccably designed, with outstanding build quality, a good set of connections and styling that'll fit in nicely with most living rooms. If you're looking for a high-quality flat-screen TV at an affordable price, look no further.
Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Kate Macefield
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