Panasonic Plasma TVs Had ‘Uniform Inherent Defect,’ Class Action Alleges

A federal judge gave Panasonic until April 26 to respond to a lawsuit alleging it sold plasma TVs with a “uniform inherent defect” that caused the sets’ picture quality to “suddenly deteriorate."

The proposed class action suit, filed in U.S. District Court, Newark, N.J., by Shane Hughes, alleges that Panasonic violated New Jersey consumer protection law by not disclosing that an automatic adjustment to voltage would increase brightness and minimum luminance, resulting in lower contrast and “less desirable image quality.” U.S. District Judge Madeline Arleo granted Panasonic’s request to extend the deadline for responding to the suit to April 26 from mid-March. A Panasonic spokesman declined to comment.

Hughes bought the 50-inch TC-P50G10 plasma TV in June 2009 and used it for a month before he noticed a drop in its minimum black level, his complaint alleged. With a calibration meter, Hughes found the TV’s initial contrast ratio had fallen to 2,348:1 from 4,906:1 overnight after less than 400 hours of use, it said. The minimum black level continued to rise to the point where the set was “no longer producing the same image quality” that Panasonic claimed it was capable of, it said. “The color detail, depth and tone are no longer the same quality” and the TV doesn’t “conform to the conditions as those which were advertised,” it said. The suit covers Viera plasma TVs sold in 2008 and 2009.

Hughes contacted Panasonic in September 2009 and was told an “engineering team” would “address the issue,” the complaint said. Panasonic didn’t “cure” the defects in Hughes’ TV and there are “countless other” consumers “who have experienced the same problem,” it said. Panasonic later reportedly said the problem was tied to an automatic control that adjusts internal driving voltage at “predetermined levels,” it said. As a result of the adjustment, the sets’ background brightness jumped from the “initial value,” it said. The minimum brightness level is designed to rise as the panel is used, lowering the contrast ratio, it said.

"Defendants made a corporate decision to conceal this material information from consumers,” violating the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, the complaint said. Despite knowing that the TVs’ black levels and contrast ratios “dramatically deteriorate” as “image retention” increases, Panasonic’s ads marketing materials and warranties fraudulently and falsely fail to report this negative change would occur,” it said. While the suit is based on violations of New Jersey law, it was filed in federal court because class members are likely to live in other states, it said.