Panasonic Viera X1 TC-P42X1 and TC-P50X1

Going Against the Grain

As more manufacturers move exclusively to 1080p sets Panasonic is going the other way. Well, not completely. With little fanfare Panasonic is releasing their 720p X1 series HDTVs. The X1 series includes the 32-inch TC-L32X1 LCD, 37-inch TC-L37X1 LCD, 42-inch TC-P42X1 plasma, and the 50-inch TC-P50X1 plasma. We applaud the move.

At 42 inches and below it's virtually impossible to distinguish the extra pixels in a 1080p set. In most cases this is true for a 50 inch screen as well. Why pay more for pixels that your eyes cannot see. At these screen sizes 720p resolution is perfect adequate, even with Blu-Ray source material.

All broadcast high def is either 720p or 1080i. DVDs are 480p. Standard definition TV is 480i. Panasonic notes that if you primarily watch broadcast television or DVDs then 720p sets can display the full resolution of the source material (there is no perceptible loss of resolution when a 1080i source is rescaled to 720p). We go even further. At 50 inches and below you can also throw in Blu-Ray.

We haven't seen the new X1 sets yet but we are particularly fond of the previous generation of Panasonic 720p sets, the 42-inch TH-42PX80U and 50-inch TH-50PX80U, both with fantastic image quality and a street price below $1000. The new 32-inch and 37-inch sets are also great for viewing iPod videos through the included iPod Entertainment Kit docking station.

In the current economic environment we love Panasonic's move to wallet friendly 720p sets. If the new sets are as good as the 720p PX series then the 42-inch and 50-inch sets in particular represent tremendous value. (Check out the stellar customer reviews of the 42-inch and 50-inch PX series sets.)

Panasonic TC-P42X1 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV $718 Hot Deal
Panasonic TC-P50X1 50-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV $855 Hot Deal
Panasonic TH-42PX80U 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV $734
Panasonic TH-42PX80U 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV $1099

All Panasonic Viera X1 Series HDTVs