Panasonic Viera TX-P65VT30
The VT30 line is the pride of Panasonic’s 2011 plasma fleet, and this 63kg goliath is its biggest star. In terms of design, the edge-to-edge glass fascia looks fabulous. Featuring both Freeview HD and Freesat tuners, you’ll not be starved of hi-def either. Images are massively dynamic, and there’s plenty picture processing trickery on-board to defeat panning judder, and the like. Indeed, outstanding motion resolution makes this a good choice for gamers and sports fans.
The VT30’s THX-certified 3D images have appreciable depth, with no apparent crosstalk artefacts. There is a caveat to this cleanliness though: Panasonic’s 3D glasses absorb a ridiculous amount of light, making some 3D movies look decidedly murky.
The sideshow that is the Viera Connect IPTV portal offers moderate distraction, but media streaming is excellent from both USB and across a LAN. If you’re looking for the most respectable mega-TV on the market, then this is probably your hulk, its 2D imaging is truly stunning but you do have to pay for the privilege, which affects its overall rating here.
Reg Rating 85%
Price £4989
More info
Panasonic
Panasonic Viera TX-P50GT30
There’s considerable in-house rivalry between Panasonic’s two high-end plasma offerings. Its VT30 models have been lavished with every technology the brand can afford to throw at them and given the troubles now facing Japan’s TV makers, you’ll probably not see their like again. Yet the upstart GT30s have been garnering all the plaudits.
Y’see, the GT30 is a very easy panel to love, albeit not available in sizes above 50in it still deserves a look in here. While it lacks the designer chassis of its step-up sibling, its picture performance is astonishingly similar. Some even prefer it because it’s not so heavily filtered – employing the regular rather than Pro version of the brand’s High Contrast Filter. Consider it the televisual equivalent of Pippa Middleton.
Reg Rating 80%
Price £1897
More info
Panasonic
Next page: Philips Cinema 21:9 Gold
COMMENTS
what size?
whats the point in this when you dont even bother listing the screen size. out of all 10 only 1 mentioned size.. pointless, uesless and uniformative.. and yes how about putting them in real world environment... big sofa, pizza and 4 guys playing MW3 on em.
TV?
What serious home cinema type uses a TV?
Home cinema is a front projection screen more then 80" or so, seating at 1.2x screen width, and with real surround sound, not that shit where the speakers come in the same box as the amplifier. Oh, and a pitch black room. Most theaters now seem to have 50 exit signs of street-light level brightness, but that sure as hell isn't in the specs. Neither is moonlight coming in your window! For christ's sake, people, it's just not the same when you see a reflection of your buddy opening the fridge, just as the joker is asking, "Why so serious?"! People, have some self-respect!
A television for a home theater?! I mean, really, when was the last time you went to the movies and they had a light transmitting display? You want to watch a movie, fine... a tv will work. If you want to watch it like the director intended, you need front projection, big-ass sound, a totally isolated, dedicated environment, and the first two calibrated to perfection. This does -not- mean setting 'cinema 1' and calling it a day. It's wrong. Throw that shit out, get a colorimeter, and learn to do it yourself.
See, that's "home theater enthusiast" - someone who wants to watch movies -right-. Having a kick-ass TV is just watching movies a bit less wrong.
It's not like non-home-theater people are stupid for not doing all that stuff, it's just that something set up in your living room with a TV just ain't home theater, any more than putting your netbook on the coffee table is good television.
@Nobody cares about Philips
Once you've owned an Ambilight television, you'll never want to own another set without it.
I've got the original Aurea by Philips, and while I don't dispute the better picture quality of more recent televisions from Philips and other manufacturers, the overall effect cannot be beaten (except by the Aurea II, of course).
Size matters
I agree, ok I can work it out but if you are doing a review on big tellys then size should be in there as part of the review...
Size matters to Paris Hilton
corner?
what serious home cinema type has the TV in a corner?
TV should be straight facing you on a wall, especially with a 5.1/7.1 setup
