JJ Lighting & Electrical - Home Electrical Centre

Panasonic TX-L37E30 LED TV

The first of Panasonic's 2011 models

It’s that time of year again, when all the manufactures change their model line ups.  Some years there is little change bar the model number, and some years the changes are significant.

This year is one of those years.  Panasonic have ditched Plasma below 37” and have instead introduced a wider range of LCD and LED backlit LCD models. All of the 2011 sets have FreeviewHD as standard, regardless of whether they are FullHD or not.  There are however a lot more Full HD models to choose from.

The first of these to arrive is the TX-L37E30.

If you are a regular reader of this site, you will know our main criteria for ANY LCD TV, and that is 100 Hz.  The one thing that gives smooth images during action packed fast motion and its present on this set.  As well as 100 Hz, it’s LED backlit (meaning colours are more vibrant and running costs much lower) and Full HD (ideal for Blu-ray and PS3).

The most striking thing about this new set is the thickness of the frame around the screen.  Or should I say thinness.  It’s extremely thin, making the picture seems a lot bigger but the actual set appears smaller.  Next to last years 37” it looks more like a 32”.  A perfect excuse to upgrade to 37” without upsetting the wife.

Unlike some of the competition though, the ultra thin panel has not ruined the sound quality, and whilst it lacks the depth of an old CRT set, the speakers are as good as you’ll get on a modern LED set.  Clear, loud and vibrant, the only time you might miss a bigger speaker is during feature films,  but then you could buy a Soundbar or surround system to compensate.

Picture wise there is nothing too exciting to write about.  Put simply, it’s fantastic, but Panasonic sets always are. Crisp vibrant colours, deep blacks and smooth motion.  On the HD channels the image is a good as you could ever hope for or need.  Seriously impressive.  Being FreeviewHD, you can receive BBC1, BBCHD, ITVHD and Ch4HD through a normal aerial, but local conditions and location will determine whether you will receive them or not.  In North Chingford, the signal is very strong but parts of Essex are not yet covered.

For 2011, Panasonic have tweaked their already excellent menu system, adding colour and symbols to guide the eye.  There is also a very good transparency to the menus which makes the whole thing feel up to date.  As usual, menus are simple and self explanatory to navigate, one of our main reasons for supporting the brand.

In addition to these changes, the E30 features Panasonic newer Viera Connect system, allowing additional content such as YouTube, Picasa and TV on demand to be accessed.  With the optional wireless dongle and webcam, there is also a very strong Skype system, allowing you to take video calls in the front room, rather than having to sit in front of a PC.  A much more natural progression of the system.  Very Back to the future.

Whilst it’s not the Cheapest Set in Panasonic’s range,  it is not loaded with features you don’t need,  such as 3D.  If you DO want the 3D then check back soon for the 2011 range review.

All in all, It’s what I would call an ideal Front room, main TV.  Covers all the bases on paper,  but excels in the flesh.

Pop in today for a demonstration.