This television is magnificent. All of the business you’ve heard about KURO technology being built into Panasonic’s new plasma panels is manifestly true. While we don’t have another PRO-111FD in the VT25, we do find something akin to a PDP-5080FD (2007)—but with better green. The black level of this panel is undeniably stellar as compared with that of any non-Pioneer plasma set to date. The looks are satisfactory, and the price is right.
I am deeply pleased to see a panel with a convincing shade of black once again on offer. The VT25 represents a comeback of that serious sort of videophilia which drives developments like the deep-encased cell structure and the first fully dynamic LED backlighting systems. The VT25 represents Panasonic’s direct opposition to the development of what I’ve called the “New High End,” a project undertaken cheifly by Samsung, which replaces legitimate innovation with exorbitant prices and mediocre-quality panels (for more information, see my review of the UNC9000 Samsung LED-LCD†). Panasonic is our last, best hope.
It’s true that Panasonic hasn’t been entirely on the level these last two years. The V10 originally generated considerable excitement, given its low price, but of course suffered from an engineering gaffe, which results in a bizarrely scheduled rise in black level. The 850U before it was an excellent TV and didn’t suffer from this problem at all; to see it appear in the V10 which was in no way a better television than the 850U has been puzzling—even maddening. This led me to doubt that the new Panasonic panels would impress. Why expect innovation in Pioneer’s absence? Why especially from the company which botched the nearly excellent V10? I don’t know, but the bottom line is that the VT25 is here, and it’s got deep enough black that I may begin letting my memories of the Elite product line fade.
The VT25’s THX mode is solid. Not because it’s marked ‘THX,’ but because it’s a serious attempt at giving the TV the correct gamma for any room, on the basis of light readings taken automatically and continuously by the TV. Eventually, this sort of technology will obviate the need for ISF calibrations in consumers’ homes, since the level of error introduced by the TV in such a dynamic self-calibration mode will not long remain above the critical 3-5%, I think.
Dish Network Equipment
The best equipment for satellite TV
Panasonic TC-54VT25 Plasma TV Review
This TV is a stellar performer; it earns 4/5 stars, and renews hopes for the reestablishment of a legitimate high-end flat-panel market.
Samsung's C9000 LED & the End of High-End
This is the worst flagship television I've ever reviewed; it earns zero stars, and suggests that things may be heading south in the high-end space.
I'm Jeffrey Lee, and I write all of the reviews and articles you see here, drawing on years of experience as a salesman specializing in audio-video equipment. My task is to help consumers deal with the confusion created by manufacturers and retailers that use misleading pseudo-techspeak and gimmicks to push high-margin, low-value TVs, home theater systems, accessories and services.
