Panasonic TX-L37DT30 37in 3D LED backlit TV

Media management

DLNA compatibility ensures the set can see Nas and PC sources automatically, and file compatibility is broad. AVCHD, MPEG2, AVIs and MKV wrapped content all played from my networked test file folder.

Viera Apps portal

As per usual, SRT subtitles were not recognised over the LAN, but they do read from USB flash drives. Audio support covers MP3, AAC and WMA, but not FLAC or Ogg. Album art and artist metadata were all correctly drawn upon.

I’ve got to say I’m impressed with Panasonic’s second gen IPTV portal. There’s a rich selection of useful IPTV services – BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Daily Motion, Acetrax and Cinetrailers – as well as access to the Viera Market, home of a growing catalogue of games and sundry diversions from third party developers. Some games can even be played using a standard USB games pad plugged into the TV, giving a console-like experience.

Back panel connections

Naturally, social media apps are provided, including clients for Facebook, Picasa and Twitter. Panasonic hasn’t yet worked out how to integrate these within the TV experience – for example, you can’t view a TV channel and Tweet simultaneously – but it’s a good effort. There is no open web browser though.