While Panasonic Plasma Traditionally excel on the picture quality front, they’ve lagged a bit behind other flat-panal TVs when it comes to style.
TAKE LAST YEAR’S VT25 SERIES. The picture on those sets was hard to fault (the 50-incher we reviewed won our 2010 Video Product of the Year award), but when positioned alongside new, ultra-slim plasmas from companies like Samsung, the Panasonic’s 3-inch panel depth and thick gloss-black bezel rendered it caveman-like by comparison. However, the company’s new VT30 series sets have undergone a style evolution, with the cabinet depth slimmed down to 1.5 inches and chunky bezels chucked in favor of an all-glass front surface. It’s a decidedly sleek look — one that makes Panasonic plasmas a more attractive proposition than ever.
As you might guess, the TC-P55VT30 reviewed here is a 3D-capable model that can also convert 2D images for 3D display. Panasonic provides a single set of active-shutter glasses that recharge via a mini-USB port. (Additional pairs cost $160 each.) Other features include Wi-Fi-readiness (USB adapter included); a wide assortment of Internet media-streaming options, including Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and Pandora; and local media streaming from a computer via DLNA. On the performance front, VT30 series highlights include a new Infinite Black Pro 2 panel, “fast switching” phosphors, THX certification (with THX 2D and 3D picture presets) and ISFccc modes for custom calibration. read more
