The Panasonic TH-46 PZ 80 E TV, available in continental Europe since early summer 2008, is a 46" (117 cm) plasma TV (full specifications) with a Full HD panel, built-in DVB-T tuner and extended color space for about 1,800 GBP (RRP), market price is around 1,100 GBP.

Florian Friedrich, May 21, 2008

• Accurate portrayal of 24p Blu-ray material.
• Differentiation of dark picture regions is comparable even to top CRT sets.
• Respectable sound for a flat-panel TV.
• DVDs and TV pictures in the conventional PAL standard look natural.
• Effective contrast, at 4,600:1, is significantly better than that of LCD models.
• HD-capable, integrated SD card reader that can also play back AVCHD videos.
• Overall this set offers a lot of TV for your money - great value.

• Built-in receiver on this European model (denoted by the final 'E' in the model number) is a bit lacking, and cannot handle HDTV pictures at all.
• Higher operational power consumption than comparable LCD models.
• Built-in tuner is only suitable for analog cable and DVB-T.
• Only one antenna socket, so DVB-T and analog cable TV cannot be used in parallel.
• Pictures in the traditional PAL or NTSC formats are accurately reproduced, but little is done to combat line flicker - with NTSC it is obvious even to the more casual observer.

This Panasonic is the insider's tip for price-conscious home-theater fans. At budget price, it offers top-class contrast and pure black, excellent HD quality and decent sound. The picture looks natural, and this Panasonic has done away with the typical weaknesses of plasma technology. Only very fast moving, contrast-rich edges show slight green ghosting. Operation is simple, and the AV features are practical.

Most common connections:

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Introduction

For large screen diagonals (from 37"/94 cm), Panasonic consistently chooses plasma technology. Together with its technology partner, Pioneer, it has built up a reputation for offering cutting edge technology in this sector. At about 1,800 GBP incl. VAT, the test candidate represents great value, and really defies the aggressive competition from LCD.

The TH-46 PZ 80 E will strengthen Panasonic's reputation - the picture comes much closer than LCD technology to the quality of an excellent CRT set. The total lack of viewing angle dependence is one intrinsic plus-point of plasma technology. Home-theater fans will have only one complaint - standard PAL, and NTSC in particular, are not processed quite as well as they could be.