Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P46S1 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Review by Aaron J Ginn for Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P46S1 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
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I ordered the TC-P46S1 from Amazon on July 6. TV was delivered exactly one week later by CEVA logistics. Fantastic service!

Now on to the set. I have owned two televisions in the past 15 years. The first was a 19″ Zenith CRT. The second was a cheap 27″ Apex CRT that I bought from Sam’s Club about seven years ago. I had been waiting to buy a HDTV until a decent 1080p set was available for a price that I considered reasonable if amortized over ten years. Each person has their own definition of reasonable, but I felt that time had finally arrived.

I researched this purchase for about two months. Early on I decided I wanted Panasonic plasma. Plasma is currently the only choice for those who want the best possible picture at a given price point. The only question was which model and what size? There were three models in my price range when I decided to buy: the X1, the S1, and the G10. The X1 series is Panasonic’s 720p line of plasmas. It comes in 42″ and 50″ sizes. For my viewing distance (10 feet), 720p was a definite possibility. The S1 series is Panasonic’s lowest 1080p plasma line. The G10 is a step up from the S1 and includes a THX mode and Viera Cast, Panasonic’s internet and video on demand service. A decent rule of thumb is that each step up in size is about $200 and each step up in model type is about $200. For example, the 42″ G10 is about the same price as the 46″ S1 and the 50″ X1.

I created cardboard mock-ups of the 42″, 46″, and 50″ sets and placed them where the TV would go to help determine the correct size. It quickly became clear that 42″ was too small while 50″ was too large for my personal taste. The 46″ was perfect. Unfortunately, this eliminated the X1 series from contention as there is no 46″ set in that line. I would have bought the X1 had it been available. That set is the best HDTV for the money that is offered right now, IMO. Still, 46″ was the sweet spot for me, so I was going to have to move up to a better model. Now the question was should I go with the TC-P46S1 or TC-P46G10?

In my case, I was planning on buying the Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-ray player to go with the set. When I was ready to buy, Amazon was offering $150 off the BD player when purchased with an S1 set or $200 off when purchased with a G10 set. The price of the BD60 itself was $200, so that made the deal irresistible. The BD60 also offers Viera Cast, which would have duplicated that functionality if I went with the G10 set. So the decision came down to whether or not I wanted THX for an extra $150. In the end, I decided the cost was not worth it and went with the S1. I have no regrets about that decision at all.

The color and detail on this set is fantastic. Watching the BBC Planet Earth Blu-ray set in 1080p is awe-inspiring! This set paired with the BD60 is a match made in heaven and a much better setup than many others costing hundreds of dollars more. Colors look realistic (and can be made more realistic with some tweaking or a professional ISF calibration). The set has plenty of connections including three HDMI inputs; however, I’ve found that pairing this with a good AV receiver that has HDMI output makes the number of the connections on the set irrelevant. Even the onboard sound on the TV is decent, but if you’re purchasing a TV of this caliber, you would probably want to hook it up to a decent sound system to fully appreciate the home theater experience. The set also has an SD card slot for viewing photos, so the TV can stand in as a very large digital picture frame if you are so inclined.

One of the knocks against plasmas are that they put off more heat than LCDs. Really, this is a non-issue, IMO. The amount of heat generated is far less than a much smaller CRT. Yes, it’s warmer than an LCD, but are you really willing to live with all the faults of LCD (less contrast range, poor off-angle viewing, and poor black levels) just to have a TV that is a little bit cooler? Are you watching TV in your family room or a freezer? One consideration that is a possible concern is that the anti-reflective coating is not very effective. If you have strong reflections that you are unable to control, you may want to consider an LCD, although the best LCDs have glass panels instead of matte screens anyway. Overall, I don’t think you can buy a better TV for the money (well, maybe the TC-P50X1). Highly recommended!

Review by Daniel Plasma for Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P46S1 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
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Here are the most important things I can tell you about my purchase:

1) order TVs directly from Amazon — do not, I repeat, do not order from one of their partners. I got my first TV delivered and it was cracked — totally destroyed — but because I got it directly from Amazon they were able to ship me out another right away without and hassle. These TVs are fragile and you may have problems in freight — be smart and order directly from Amazon.

2) This is a beautiful TV with a great picture but mostly at night. Plasmas do not do well in the light of the day. When it’s dark out and I am watching a movie it’s wonderful. Do not buy a Plasma for a bright room.

3) This is a value model — meaning you get a lot of bang for your buck but it doesn’t have a lot of fancy bells and whistles. It’s fine — especially if it’s an upgrade or your first high def tv.

4) HD channels look amazing — regular channels don’t look very good. Because this tv is so sharp you see all the imperfections in anything other than HD. I can’t really even watch the regular, non HD channels, because it looks terrible.

Review by Ellen Barnhill for Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P46S1 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
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After much reviewing of LCD/LED and Plasma types, it was obvious that Plasma was still the way to go. “Rounder” picture; no video cam feel to the crispness. Even the kid at Fry’s admitted that the complaint about the LCD/LED types was that the crispness made the picture feel like a daytime soap in video. As we will be watching DVD’s (no blueray yet), movies and now wildlife TV, I chose to honor the cinematographer and see the picture in the fashion initially designed. Yes, the HD channels are fabulous. But even in the non-HD channels, you can see all of Mariners’ Centerfielder, Franklin Guttierez’ eyelashes!

Pilot Air Freight delivered with the best Amazon ordered service. They did not plug in the cable, but did unload, plug in and double check that all lines were scanning properly – no bars or burnt out spaces. Once again, Amazon.com is $200.00 cheaper than Fry’s or others and their door delivery (free) was excellent.

One issue: The size. I was allowing my husband’s demand for the largest set to get in the way of my choice. We bought the 46″ and should have bought the 42″ for our size living room. It is possible to get eyestrain from “scanning” the whole screen! Our Comcast cable techie did help with deep programming to eliminate the automatic 4:3 stretch that was soooo bothersome. Now everything is received on the screen in the proper format without any fiddling by the user. Eliminated eye strain as well.

Note: the stand is extremely stable – no fears of tipping by active 3 year old grand niece. Also, the Plasma is in front of a picture window with no (never) drapes or blinds. There is no problem with dimming in full daylight (maybe a smidge) and no reflctions from other lighting in the room. Best choice for those conditions.

Review by Smytheville for Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P46S1 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
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I researched this purchase thoroughly online at sites for Consumer Reports, Panasonic, Amazon, and elsewhere. This model didn’t have quite all the bells and whistles of the highest end model, but it is more environmentally friendly, consumes significantly less power, and has a significantly lighter weight. (And the weight was an important factor in getting it unpacked and mounted with a small helper.) Some features of the more expensive models related to much more elaborate speaker and sound options, but I figured that if I’m hooking this up to a home theatre system anyway, I didn’t need such features. But guess what…my home theatre system was out of commission for the first month I had the TV, and it turns out that the TV sounds great on its own. The picture, as expected, is superb, and the glare-reduction feature works pretty well, too. There are lots of connection options. Right now I have it connected to a U-Verse DVR/receiver, a home theatre soundbar, and a separate DVD/VHS combo unit, and there’s still room to grow when I’m ready to add Blu-ray and beyond. Regarding ordering from Amazon: the shipping service was fast and impeccable. The shipper called to make a specific delivery appointment a couple of days in advance; then the driver called when he was en route to my house. The packaging was sturdy and ingeniously designed to make unpacking it easy and clean. Excellent product from an excellent vendor.

Review by jharterman for Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P46S1 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
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I would actually rate this 4.5 stars, but for under $1k, it is a 5-star value. I’ve also owned a Sony KDS55A2000 Rear Projection TV. I think the colors are a little better on the Sony, but blacks, shadow details, contrast are better on the Panasonic. The Panasonic is also less than half what the Sony cost three years ago. And much easier to move because it is a flat panel and not as heavy (or energy-consuming) as previous plasmas.

Very occasionally, I notice the colors tend a bit green, but not enough to bother me. I suspect this can be corrected with calibration. The audio is adequate for a TV (comparable to Sony). If you want high quality sound, then you should use a receiver and external speakers. Commercials are loud, and I wish there was a setting to compensate for this. The S1 series does not give many options for picture adjustments in the user menu — not nearly as many as the Sony — but there are enough for most users.

Overall, the picture quality is excellent. Even SD is decent. Upconverted DVDs very good. The TV is a great value. I considered the X1 720p, but you could see a very noticeably difference in brightness and PQ in the store. I tinkered with settings as much as I could, and my wife and I both agreed that the S1 was much better and worth the extra $. Of course, it may not matter as much at home. Plasmas never look as good in stores — under bright fluorescent lights, next to overly bright LCDs — but trust me, they look better at home than almost any LCD.

The G10 really only seems to offer THX mode and THX certification and some online features. THX is too dark without calibration. To get smooth 24fps playback (without flickering), you have to step up to the V10, and that is considerably more expensive. They all have the same panel, and most people will be very happy with the S1. Of course, the V10 is better, but if money is a concern, go with the S1. You won’t find a better TV for the price.

The Menu can be slow — when making adjustments or manually tuning channels — but that’s quibbling. You can find advice in online forums on the best settings — even advice on service menu adjustments, if you’re venturesome.

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