Panasonic VIERA TX-P42GT20 Pro Reviews

If you get an unusually good deal on the Panasonic TX-P42GT20, then its combination of excellent 2D image quality and its attempt at 3D may well do the trick. Its almost total freedom from 3D crosstalk is what does the Panasonic TX-P42GT20B the most favours, meaning that, unlike several competing LCD-based 3D sets, its 3D pictures are unmistakably 3D and do give a great sense of depth. For this reason, there is no denying that even with some flaws, the Panasonic TX-P42GT20 is still better value for money than some of the more seriously flawed 3D LCD and LED LCD sets we’ve seen lately. In the future, we look forward to seeing the current top-end technology become available on mid-range models. For now, most users will probably be happy to tolerate the trade-offs.

This Panasonic isn’t perfect by any means but it's still an attractive proposition and it works well as a 3D-compatible package.

There's no doubt that the P42GT20 marks a definite step down in quality from the sensational P42VT20. So much so where standard definition is concerned, at least, that the extra £300 for the higher-spec model is we'll worth finding if standard def material still takes up plenty of your viewing time. If £1,500 is definitely the top end of what you can afford, however, then there's also no doubt that the P42GT20 produces the finest 3D performance yet seen at that price level, as well as a very good hi-def 2D performance.

Simply by virtue of its suppression of crosstalk noise, the P42GT20 is by default the best sub-£1500 3D TV we’ve seen to date. It’s also a terrific HD performer, particularly with Blu-ray sources. However, its standard definition pictures are a bit disappointing, and we really do have to question Panasonic’s pricing policy. For its £1,250 price versus the £800-ish cost of the non-3D P42G20 effectively means you’re paying £450 - or half the P42G20’s price again - for the P42GT20’s 3D capabilities. Even with a couple of pairs of 3D glasses thrown in, this looks a bit steep. Especially as we’ve just taken delivery of a new Samsung plasma TV that offers a more immersive 50in screen of full HD 3D pictures for just £1,030… Watch this space.

Panasonic can be a very frustrating company to deal with because for every big thing they do right they drop the ball on some smaller detail that negates all their hard work. For example they introduce professional calibration controls but only include two point white balance and a limited CMS. They introduce a plasma with black levels to rival the Pioneer but mess up the handling of 50Hz material. They introduce reference standard full HD 3D performance but screw up the design of the active shutter glasses. They include video processors with excellent scaling capabilities but despite repeated requests they still can’t include proper cadence detection.