SEPTEMBER 2019 HOME CINEMA CHOICE2
this is a Freeview Play model you also get a full selection
of catch-up TV players, plus UKTV Play, CBS Catchup and
Horror Bites. There’s even support for Google Assistant and
Amazon Alexa smart integration.Satisfying 4K
When it comes to picture quality, the TX-50GX800 nails it.
Long story short: this is arguably the most satisfying 4K
UHD mid-range telly yet from the brand.
Whether you're watching regular HD, or 4K from a
streaming service or disc, it delivers crisp, expertly-judged,
highly watchable pictures.
Contrast is excellent, given an assist from local dimming,
while the brand’s much-lauded HCX image processor
wrings fi ne detail and textual nuance from a wide range
of sources.
Image presets cover Dynamic, Normal, Cinema, True
Cinema, Custom and Sport. There’s also a low input-lag
Game setting, which really delivers on its promise.
I measured input lag at a measly 10.2ms.
In most situations, the Normal mode proves to be
the best catch-all picture setting; cinema is much duller,
so opt for True Cinema when watching in darker viewing
environments. If you view Dolby Vision content, Dolby
presets are applied: Dolby Vision Vivid, Dolby Vision Bright
and Dolby Vision Dark (I found Bright works best).
The provision of multi-HDR support obviously makes the
GX800 a tempting proposition for home cinephiles. Content
is all over the place when it comes to HDR implementation,
with some discs and streaming services supporting Dolby
dynamic metadata, while others support royalty free
HDR10+. The TX-50GX800 is refreshingly agnostic.
It also caters for regular HDR10 and broadcast HLG.
In Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Dolby Vision, Ultra HD
Blu-ray), the opening Empire dreadnought scuttling isPanasonic doesn't even lock you into large screen sizes.
The GX800 series is available at a modest 40in, if the 50in
(tested here), 58in or 65in iterations are too big.
As we expect from the Japanese major, cosmetics are
good. The look may be minimalistic but the execution has
fl air. The thin edge-lit panel actually sits on top of, rather
than inside, the surrounding bezel, which looks kinda neat.
The TX-50GX800 also snubs awkward wide feet for a
more convenient pedestal stand.
The TV comes with a standard IR Panasonic remote
(which means more buttons than Christmas), adorned
with dedicated Netfl ix and Freeview Play shortcuts.
Look closely though and you can see where corners
have been cut. The set has a Freeview Play tuner, but
there's no provision for a satellite feed. There are also only
three HDMIs provided. Still you lose some, you win some.
The provision of a two-way Bluetooth Audio link allows
music to be streamed to the set, and supports pairing
with wireless headphones for private TV listening.
When it comes to smart connectivity, Panasonic
continues to resist the allure of the Android TV OS. What
we have here is its own My Home Screen platform, now up
to version 4. It looks deceptively simple, but is actually quite
powerful and intuitive to use.
Home, as it’s aff ectionately called, again launches with
three buttons, ‘Devices’, ‘Apps’ and ‘Live TV.’ These can be
augmented with additional icons for your favourite
streaming service(s) or connected device(s).
The Devices tab doesn't just list connected hardware
players. It also recognises connected network media
servers and NAS drives. My Twonky and Plex media
servers were spotted straight away, and MKV video fi les
immediately accessible.
Streaming TV service support is solid; Netfl ix, Amazon
Prime Video, Rakuten.tv and YouTube lead the way. And as
The days of HDR elitism are over. With the advent of the
GX800, Panasonic has neutralised the ongoing debate about
dynamic HDR standards. It's slashed the price premium usually
associated with the technology too; what was once the preserve
of high-end enthusiasts is now ready for primetime. Fed up with
having to decide between Dolby Vision or HDR10+ when opting
for a new TV? This fair-minded fl atscreen is happy playing both.
REVIEWS 41
Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos – this mid-
ranger will have AV fans drooling, says Steve May
Panasonic's
HDR free-for-all
PRODUCT:
50in 4K TV with
Dolby Vision and
HDR10+ playback
POSITION:
In the middle
of Panasonic's
2019 TV fl eet
PEERS:
LG 55UM7450;
Samsung 58RU7100AV I NF O
- The GX800 will
bitstream Dolby
Atmos to compatible
audio systems - The remote has
hot-keys for Freeview
Play and Netfl ix