Now that plasma TVs are starting to offer 1920×1080 resolution, they can compete head-to-head with LCD flat panels in that department. Panasonic didn’t introduce the first such plasma, but it’s in the forefront of this trend, with several models in different sizes. The TH-58PZ750U is a 58-inch behemoth that sits at the top of the line and paints an impressive picture indeed. 

FEATURES One of the most touted features of this and many other Panasonic plasma TVs is the SD memory-card slot. The company’s digital cameras use SD cards, so it makes sense to include an SD slot on the TVs so you can easily share photos with family and friends. Also available are SD cards preloaded with high-def images of fine art and photography from a company called GalleryPlayer (galleryplayer.com), turning the TV into a high-tech art gallery.

The menu system follows a disturbing trend I’ve noticed more and more lately—the main picture controls are two levels deep, and the advanced controls are one level farther down the rabbit hole. And instead of dropping to the bottom of the screen when you’re mak¬ing adjustments, they remain where they were in the menu, obscuring the image you’re trying to tweak. The rest of the menu disappears, but it pops back only one second later, preventing you from carefully considering your settings. Very frustrating! Like most TVs, this one’s remote is a universal type that can control up to three components other than the TV.

The buttons are big and well-organized, which is great, because the remote isn’t illuminated. There are no input buttons—you have to call up a menu of inputs by pressing the tv/video button. Please, Panasonic, at least give this button an intuitive label like input or source! 

PERFORMANCE I recently discovered a terrific-looking HD DVD—Grand Prix from 1966, a fast-paced tale of Formula 1 racing in Europe. The TH-58PZ750U rendered all the exquisite detail beautifully—each spectator in the crowd lining the street course was crisply defined, promotional signs along the route were easily read, and the POV shots put me right in the driver’s seat. Green roadside foliage was a bit exaggerated, but skin tones looked quite natural.

The blood in one scene showing the aftermath of an accident was almost too realistic for my delicate stomach. At one point, a dark-blue car flies off course and into the ocean, and it is recovered at night. As the sports car is being pulled out of the water, it  was difficult to distinguish its edges against the night sky, but the divers were clearly visible. Turning to one of my standard torture tests, I cued up Chapter 8 of Mission: Impossible III on HD DVD to see how the TV’s processor handled the pan across the long staircase.

There was a moderate amount of wavy distortion—not the worst I’ve seen, but certainly not the best. Not long ago, the blacks produced by this plasma would have been considered unbeatable, but the Pioneer PRO-1150HD also reviewed as part of this survey has significantly raised (or, more accurately, lowered) that bar. Even the Sony KDL-40XBR4 LCD TV, also reviewed in these pages, renders blacks almost as deep as the Pioneer, making the Panasonic’s performance in this area seem less impressive that it might otherwise. 

This was abundantly clear watching Star Wars V on THX-certified DVD; the dark reaches of space were certainly deeper than most plasma and LCD TVs can manage, but compared with the Pioneer and Sony models mentioned above, the Panasonic couldn’t quite keep up. The black letterbox bars were visible, especially in dark scenes, but never conspicuous. And structures on the Millennium Falcon’s exterior were sharply defined, as was the maze of controls and equipment inside the ship.

Shadow detail in the rebel command center was excellent—I could easily see the texture of walls and equipment in the dimly lit back¬ground. Skin tones were realistic, including Yoda’s pale green complex¬ion (at least, I assume it was realistic!). It was easy to get lost in the orange clouds and deep blue skies surrounding Lando Calrissian’s floating city. Turning to HDTV as delivered by Dish  Network, Chasing History Home on Treasure HD was airing an episode about Ellis Island.

Contemporary shots of the buildings were super sharp, with crisply defined bricks and tile floors—I could even read the labels on the various exhibits, and closeups of old photos were surprisingly clean and clear. Skin tones looked a bit washed out, but that could easily have been in the signal; the olive green of the park ranger’s uniform was spot on. Regular (standard-def) TV didn’t fare quite as well, but the Panasonic did the best it could with the signal delivered.

On KCET, LA’s local PBS station, Huell Howser was visiting Ferguson’s Marine Specialties, a long-established sea-shell shop in Wilmington, CA. Colors were generally fine, although there was some shimmering in pans across the finely detailed sea shells. The signal was pretty noisy, and the TV’s noise reduction was able to clean it up somewhat.

BOTTOM LINE The Panasonic TH-58¬PZ750U’s picture quality is excel¬lent, even if its black performance doesn’t quite measure up to the Pioneer set also reviewed for this survey. Colors are mostly realistic, shadow detail is superb, and the picture is nice and sharp. Add to that a 58-inch screen, and you have a big, beautiful picture that’s sure to please.  

The Last Word

Pros
• Superb overall detail 
• Excellent shadow detail
• Good color
• Reasonably deep blacks

Cons
• Funky menu system
• Remote control has no input buttons
• Can’t accept 1080p 

Specifications 

Panasonic TH-58PZ750U
• Screen size: 58″
• Pixel resolution: 1920×1080
• 1:1 mode: Yes
• Accepts 1080p: No
• Displays 1080p/24 at: N/A
• Video inputs: 3 HDMI (1.3), 1 VGA, 2 com¬ponent, 3 S-video, 3 composite, 1 RF
• Other connections: SD card, optical digital audio out
• Dimensions (WxHxD): 57.3″ x 38.2″ x 16.5″ (w/stand), 57.3″ x 36.1″ x 5.7″ (w/o stand) • Weight: 165.4 lb (w/stand), 141 lb(w/o stand)
• Warranty: 1 year parts & labor,2 years glass • Price: $5300