Panasonic Viera TX-P50X10B review

That said, built-in speakers are rarely any good and we always advise that people invest in an external sound system. Trust us: if you're a film fan, you'll get much more out of the movie experience with good sound.

Freeview picture quality was good -- plenty of detail was recovered from the picture, and colours seemed fairly accurate. The TV also managed to do a good job of reducing the appearance of macro blocking and mosquito noise -- a side effect of over-compressed MPEG-2. In short, if you watch plenty of Freeview, this TV won't disappoint.

Looking at our HD DVD of Serenity, we were once again impressed. At the start of the movie, when the Universal logo and the spaceships appear, we noted excellent blacks. Close inspection of the halos around the sun did indicate that there was some solarising on bright objects. This is a plasma trait that's pretty much disappeared on more expensive TVs, but, on this budget model, the results are visible. It's not anything to worry about, however, and, at normal viewing distances, you won't notice it.

Conclusion
There were times when we noticed that the Panasonic Viera TX-P50X10B's picture looked less detailed than 1080p sets we've tested. That said, most people simply won't be able to tell. Panasonic has produced a sturdy, well-priced TV that offers plenty of value for money and looks the part too. If you can afford it, go for a 1080p television, but, if you're on a budget, the TX-P50X10B will suit you perfectly.

Edited by Charles Kloet