DT30 Series: Do They Have the 3D Panasonic TV You Want?

Well, perhaps because the DT30 is actually not a bad choice for a 3D LCD TV. A summary of its most important points shows this. First off, let us return to the issue of the 37 inches. As explained above, most 3D connoisseurs shall not be too happy about that being the maximum size option for the series because it robs them of the full 3D experience. That having been said, this Panasonic TV nonetheless carries quite a style to it, bearing what Panasonic is calling its Flush design that features, among other things, extremely slim bezels. The footprint is gratifyingly small, about 8 cm at its deepest, and the whole looks fairly pleasing. However, one must also remember that its competitors are making amazing headway in this aspect-see the Samsung D8000, for instance-and in comparison, even this slim and sophisticated Panasonic LCD TV begins to look the plainer option. It stands up very well on its own, though.

When it comes to another aspect of design, that of the menus, Panasonic actually made some very good changes in this series, replacing the old Panasonic colour duo with a white-lettered text on soft, charcoal-like wash. Their signature blue and yellow has not been completely laid to rest, no, but has been upgraded to appear in gradients, which definitely did the impression a world of good. The menu pop-up that often blocks the meter during calibration activities, too, has been fixed. Calibrators shall rejoice, no doubt.

The features of the DT30 series are ample: they are home networking-capable, they have Panasonic's Viera Connect, a Skype application that lets you have video chats (if you have a camera hooked up), HD connectivity, playback support for SD card and USB media files. The lack of good cadence detection may prove disappointing to some, but the gradual shift to HD should eventually render it irrelevant. Overall, the DT30 series features are sufficient for the smart TV buyer.

Where it truly shines, though, is in its improvement of panel response time and viewing angles, two major problems with all LCDs. Panasonic has been touting their IPS-Alpha panels ever since coming out with this series and it seems the hype is not all undeserved. The viewing angles are fairly impressive, and while black levels are still not quite up to the competition, they are perfectly respectable. The LED lighting is all right, but some have been reporting slight unevenness. As for the 3D. well, suffice it to say that this Panasonic TV really does deliver on the promise the company made on crosstalk reduction. This Panasonic LCD TV also performs fantastically in gaming response. All in all, the only real qualms are the size, the only-OK inbuilt sound quality, lack of cadence detection, and just-fair black levels. In spite of all of those, the Panasonic DT30 series is still a good option for people who want to own a 3D LCD flat-panel TV, delivering good value for money.


Besides this assessment, there are many other reviews online that can help a person looking for a good Panasonic TV. Do not limit yourself to the DT30 series and look at the other, latest offerings before you decide too quickly on the Panasonic LCD TV you want, as technology keeps the new products coming every year.