Our Verdict
The Panasonic S60 Plasma TV is very similar to the pricier ST60, assuming you have a dark room. When you turn on the lights, though, the picture gets washed out a bit by the reflections. If you normally watch TV with the lights off, this is clearly one of the best bangs for your buck that you can buy.
- Very good contrast. The blacks are really good.
- Very low input lag.
- A lot of reflections. This TV isn't meant to be used in a rooms with windows.
- Average motion handling for a plasma.
Check Price
We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests are done with specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.
Test Results
The S60 is really meant for a dark room. Its blacks are really deep and with great shadow details. It cannot get any better than this for its price.
You will notice a lot reflections as soon as you turn on the lights. Combine this with the fact that it can't get very bright and you will not see anything in a bright room. If you plan on watching it during the day, go for the ST60 instead (it has good anti-glare).
It is a little bit less of an issue when watching bright content.
The viewing angle of the S60 is very good. You will not have any issue watching it on the sides.
The S60 had some noticeable phosphor trails when watching 24p content. This was greatly reduced for other frame rates, though.
