I just purchased this TV from Amazon after the long wait for Panasonic to release. I have had it a week now and am really enjoying it. I am not a videophile, just an average user, so I'll leave the more detailed reviews to the techies. I am running this on an Xfinity (Comcast) cable network. I have a Tivo Premiere, a Panasonic Blu-ray DVD player, and an Apple TV hooked up. All running seamlessly. I replaced an 8-yr old rear projection, 720p Samsung. Here are my initial observations.
This TV is crazy thin. I have it on the supplied stand, but it would easily wall mount, no thicker than a framed picture. The stand is not quite the way it appears in photos. It is actually a very strong and solid metal stand. The see through acrylic piece you see is just cosmetic and a cover that lies on top of the metal stand. That's actually a good thing, because you don't fear that the stand will crack or break. The stand is also wider (16") and deeper (14") than you might guess from the photos. So you will need to be sure your TV furniture is deep enough to accommodate the stand. What is very useful is the height of the stand (4" from bottom of the base to bottom of the bezel). Because you will likely want to use a speaker system (more on that in a minute), you may want a sound bar or center speaker in front of the TV. This is a problem with TVs like the new Samsung F8000 (a clear competitor to this set) that have a much smaller stand height. On those TVs, the height of the sound bar or center speaker is likely to cover up part of the bottom bezel. And if the bezel is thin, as is the case with most new sets, it may also cover up part of the picture. Not a problem with this set. I have a Sonos sound bar and it just fits under the bottom bezel like it was designed that way.
The back panel of the TV is sheet metal, not plastic. It looks surprisingly cheap for a TV of this price, but it is sturdy, and needless to say, you won't be looking at it. It has 3 HDMI ports on the right center of the back of the set. If you need another access port, it also has component ports. Also an optical digital port for hooking up to sound bars like the Sonos.
As for the bells and whistles, they are innovative and useful, but like cable packages, way more than you are likely to ever use. It basically doubles as a computer monitor when you are not watching TV. It has numerous apps available. You can set it so that your default screen is a combo of the TV image and the various apps (and you just press one button on the remote to call up the full screen TV image), or you can just default to the TV image. The main remote has a dedicated Netflix button, so that is easy to access. Amazon Instant Video is called up from the apps screen, so only a couple of extra steps. Both work well once set up. The swipe and share works as advertized and is a fun way to show pictures from your smart phone on the big screen for all to enjoy. I have an iPhone and after downloading the needed app, it worked well. The 2D to 3D conversion works fairly well and there are 4 pairs of glasses included with the set. But it remains gimmicky in my view and except for the occasional movie that makes good use of 3D, probably not a key feature for this set.
The TV comes with two remotes. The main remote is set up well with large dedicated buttons for the home screen, apps, inputs, and Netflix. The smaller remote has a touchpad interface, a built-in microphone for verbal commands, and volume and channel buttons. You don't need both. I actually use my Tivo remote to control everything and keep the main remote nearby for when I need access to extra features. If you were hoping to cut down on the number of remotes you have, this TV won't help!
The sound quality is adequate for this TV. The speakers are on the back of the TV. To Panasonic's credit, there are a lot of options to tweak the sound, including surround sound, to get it to your liking. But the bottom line is there is only so much you can do with rear speakers on a TV this thin. You are likely to want a separate sound system. I opted for the admittedly pricey Sonos sound bar paired with two Play 3 Sonos speakers in the back of the room to create a surround sound environment. It really enhances the experience of watching this TV.
Now for the main event: The TV image is truly remarkable. I prefer the brightness of an LED screen over a plasma screen and this screen is very bright. The blacks look black to me and in darkly-lit scenes, the details and imagery do not get lost. Sports are a joy to watch and you feel like you are there. This is the first time I have felt like the HD experience lived up to the hype. There are all of the expected tweaks available for image and sound and the menus are intuitive and easy enough to use. Initial setup was straightforward and intuitive and you don't need tech support. Because this set is so thin, and the bezel is so thin, you really get immersed in the picture. The whole TV is minimalist in design, not unlike an Apple product. The screen does reflect a lot, so if you have light coming in towards the set, you will see it. More noticeable in darker scenes. At first, I thought this would bother me, but after a week, I hardly notice anymore.
The best endorsement I can give is that when I turn this TV on, I always have the same thought: I love this set. Enjoy.
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