Panasonic Viera TX-PF42G20S

Build Quality and Design

Looks clearly aren't Panasonic's strong point and we found all of the same problems here as we did on the VT20. The G20 is thicker than its competitors, measuring 8.2 cm front to back compared to 5 cm found . We think the bezel is too big, and the stand hasn't seen much work—despite the fact that Panasonic's competitors make an effort to make more attractive bases for their new hardware. Equally disappointing was the remote, which hasn't been updated for years. We would have preferred a more impressive look and backlit buttons. Panasonic has used a silver grey colour on the G20S, and while other colours are available, that will be a welcome change for anybody who is sick of the same old black plastic.

Despite Panasonic's best efforts, the glossy surface of the screen is susceptible to reflections, so you'll need to be careful to put the G20 somewhere where no direct light sources will fall on it.

Other features include built-in video-conferencing using Skype, as well as the best of what Panasonic had to offer last year. That means four HDMI inputs, Internet connectivity for accessing online features, motion blur reduction, THX certification and a media player. This last element is pretty disappointing as it doesn't support NTFS, so you're stuck with external peripherals formatted as FAT32 and a very limited range of file formats.

Built-in Recorder

Like the VT20, the G20 can act as a digital TV recorder, like Samsung TVs which use its PVR-Ready system. Once you've plugged in some storage, like a USB key, it can be formatted to store recordings of TV programmes. During this process, it is tied to your TV with DRM to avoid the possibility of using the system to share files illegally

Image Quality: Factory Settings

In general, manufacturers configure their televisions to produce bright, striking images to wow viewers, and the G20 is no exception to this rule, so we weren't surprised to find some worrying test results. By default, the TV displays a very strong blue tinge, meaning it can't accurately represent colours. The average deltaE was 9.5. White areas are burned out, which inevitably leads to a loss of detail in lighter areas of the frame.



Image Quality: THX Mode

To get rid of these problems, all you need to do is access the onscreen menu to switch from 'Standard' mode to 'THX'. Even then, though, we still found the picture was too dark for everyday use, so we suggest you turn contrast up to its maximum setting (60). At that level, whites are no brighter than 160 cd/m² on an a medium-bright test card (25% grey). Remember that LCD screens can easily climb above 300 cd/m². As a result, the picture will look a little pale in very bright rooms, so be careful on sunny days if you're going to put it in a south-facing room.


To get rid of these problems, all you need to do is access the onscreen menu to switch from 'Standard' mode to 'THX'. Even then, though, we still found the picture was too dark for everyday use, so we suggest you turn contrast up to its maximum setting (60). At that level, whites are no brighter than 160 cd/m² on an a medium-bright test card (25% grey). Remember that LCD screens can easily climb above 300 cd/m². As a result, the picture will look a little pale in very bright rooms, so be careful on sunny days if you're going to put it in a south-facing room.

Even though our tests with gradients of different shades of grey were still a little too blue, THX mode produces much more natural colours. Our equipment detected an average deltaE of 2.1, and any figures under 3.0 are generally considered invisible to to the human eye. That's an excellent result for the G20, which also has a great contrast ratio of 2400:1.

IFC, Panasonic's system for improving the fluidity of fast-moving objects, is turned off in THX mode by default. When you turn it on, it does a lot to reduce the jerkiness caused by the 24 fps used in movies. On the other hand, it does introduce some visual artefacts during movements, but the quality of the picture is no less impressive.

As with most TVs, the G20 doesn't quite go far enough with upscaling. We suggest you leave the job to an external device like a Blu-ray disc or DVD player, or a PS3, if you have the chance.

Sound Quality

Unlike the VT20, the G20 doesn't have 3 x 10 W speakers, with Panasonic opting instead for a pair of 10 W speakers. The result is better than average, but it's still far from perfect, and bass is noticeably absent. The treble and mid-range are handled reasonably well for a television. However good it is, we still suggest you complement your TV with a set of Home Cinema speakers if you want the audio to be as impressive as what you can see onscreen.

Energy Consumption

Plasma TVs are often criticised for needing a lot of energy, and that's justified in the case of the G20S. Our measurements showed an average consumption of 302 W while working, but while on standby, its demands are minimal and match the competition at 0.1 W. That works out as £1.20 on your electricity bill if you leave it plugged in all year round.

The G20 is a very good choice for Home Cinema fans who are prepared to watch movies in the dark.