Panasonic TX-P65VT30 65in plasma 3D TV
The elephant in the room
Review There was a much-used gag in Warner Bros’ Road Runner cartoons, where Wile E. Coyote would paint a tunnel and road onto a cliff face – and then watch in confusion as a truck drove through it. This 65in Panasonic plasma creates a similar illusion. Its pictures are so large and sharp it’s easy to be convinced of their reality.
Flagship behemoth: the Panasonic TX-P65VT30 has 65in plasma panel
Like all VT30s model, the TV has both Freeview HD and Freesat tuners. For this audition I opted for Freeview HD – the set was just too large and heavy to drag to my satellite feed. Indeed, it was a three man lift just to get it out of the box and onto the pedestal stand. While super-large LED TVs tend to be unfeasibly light, this is an old school backbreaker, tipping the scales at 63kg when perched upon its stand.
Rear connectivity features four HDMIs, component, phono AV, Ethernet, three USB ports and Scart. Wi-Fi isn’t built in, although Panasonic bundles a USB Wi-Fi adaptor in the box. Also included are two pairs of the brand’s TY-EW3D2ME active shutter 3D spectacles. The hefty remote control is a step above the Panasonic norm, beautifully finished with red backlighting.
As befits a range leader, the TX-P65VT30 is equipped with all mod cons; every feature in the brand’s TV feature arsenal gets a look in. Net connectivity comes in the shape of VIERA Connect; it’s here you’ll find BBC iPlayer, YouTube and other streaming IPTV content sources.
Back panel features four HDMI slots – no built-in Wi-Fi but a USB dongle is included
The set can also do light PVR work, recording to an attached external USB hard drive or inserted SD card, and there’s a video implementation of Skype, for those with a dedicated Skype-cam.
COMMENTS
Why would you want to...
...hang your wife on a studwork wall?
Re: Power???!!!!!
This is The Register: quite a few readers are probably already contemplating back garden nuke plants as soon as Lewis has finished convincing local authorities of their safety.
EPG
The EPG will be in daily use. It looks dire, on this 65 inch TV you can't see the programme you were watching in a window ?
It's so heavy (weighs more than my wife) how feasible is it to hang it on a studwork wall ?
90% - really ?
Sensible distance
And there's the rub.
Apart from my well-documented indifference about 3D, Where would I put it?
This is a Tellie for Essex Millionaires , not the rest of us.
its a 4 and a half grand telly
you pay a pro the 200 extra quid to either cut out the studwork and build a mount box into the wall (frequently done in bathrooms for wall-mounted bogs) or you mount directly into the studs : assuming they're placed at happy distances.
either way, you dont mount something this heavy, and this valuable, by yourself unless you know what you're doing. serious: Im surprised it comes with built-in speakers : who the hell uses built-ins if they're spending over 2k on a screen?
Im not disagreeing with your criticisms, but you're judging this as a regular TV. its not a regular TV : its a massive unit that costs more than a second hand car. If you're shirking from the price of having someone install it, then you shouldnt be spending 4.5k on a TV this big anyway, IMO.
