Panasonic TX-P50VT20 review

The 3D Panasonic VT20 is here, and it doesn't disappoint

Panasonic TX-P50VT20 3d TV
The Panasonic TX-P50VT20 is the best 3D TV to date

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TX-P50VT20 remote control

If the set does have an obvious Achilles heal, it's with audio. Like so many other thin-screens it struggles to deliver a pleasing, rounded sound.

Back this year are the bamboo drivers last seen on Panasonic TVs two years ago, but they have a limited opportunity to push air. We'd still be looking to budget a separate sound system to bolster our viewing.

Value

In terms of value, the £2,000 price tag looks surprisingly good for what you get. It's certainly highly competitive with other 3D sets – perhaps even better value than most.

Ease of use

When it comes to ease-of-use, the P50VT20 is perhaps not as straightforward as Panasonic likes to think it is. The menu system – which looks much the same as Panasonic TV menus have looked for years – is clunky, with options coming and going depending on what mode/setting you've engaged elsewhere.

The result is the Butterfly Effect in EPG form and will almost certainly have you scratching you're head. Tweakers can go deep into the picture parameter menus, and there is provision for ISFccc calibration.

Steve May
Home entertainment AV specialist

Steve has been writing about AV and home cinema since the dawn of time, or more accurately, since the glory days of VHS and Betamax. He has strong opinions on the latest TV technology, Hi-Fi and Blu-ray/media players, and likes nothing better than to crank up his ludicrously powerful home theatre system to binge-watch TV shows.