Freeview performance, on the other hand, was not up to snuff. The main problem with standard definition pictures on the Panasonic is that some aspect of the picture processing is destroying the fine detail. Looking at the TV close up revealed that things like hair are just represented as a giant smudge. Faces had an unnaturally smooth look.
At first, we thought it might be a menu setting causing all the problems. We increased the sharpness control, but that didn't make a massive difference, although there was a small increase in the detail levels. No matter what we tried, we just couldn't get the appropriate amount of detail on-screen. We did notice that when we sat a normal distance away from the screen -- a little under the couch-TV distance most people assume in their homes -- the picture looked okay, but we could still perceive the lack of detail.
Some of the problems that affected Freeview were also evident in gaming performance. Although Burnout Paradise looked and sounded great, we could tell that the image wasn't quite as sharp as it should be. In fact, this is much less of an issue than it would be for TV because games consoles sometimes output video that can look coarse around the edges. Here, the softening effect of this TV was more tolerable.
It's also worth us mentioning the TV's EPG and menu system are really good. The eight-day EPG looks amazing, and it's extremely well laid out. Using it was a real pleasure, and we do love a nice, simple menus.
Conclusion
Freeview performance badly lets this set down; the softness and missing detail in the picture means that we can't in good faith recommend it to most people. HD performance is much better, and if you are looking for a TV that will never be used to show Freeview or non-HD, then this one wouldn't be too bad. The fact remains that Panasonic itself has set the bar so high with its plasma range that it's slightly spoilt our eyes. There isn't really any compelling reason to get this over the plasma 720p
TH-37PX80B.
If LCD is your display type of choice, then we'd suggest you go for the Toshiba Regza 37XV505D or the cheaper, 720p 37CV505D, both of which do a better job with Freeview than this Panasonic.
Edited by Shannon Doubleday
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David Lisney 1 November 2010
Good: Simple to set up and use, plus I bought this legally from a friend for £150 including Blu-ray player
Bad: Very little wrong with it, though EPG seems to want to update station list every time I switch it on, agravated by me being switched on mainly just at weekends.
Comment: Set produces a very sharp picture particularly from a 1080p source, contrast range seems better than many other LCD tvs, ie action in dark areas of the screen is still visible.
cmdelee 4 July 2009
Good: Great TV with plenty of functionality
Bad: No Freesat
Comment: I Bought this tv a while ago and have found it to be excellent, easy to set up with plenty of HDMI slots for DVD players and SKY or anything you can find to plug in, The HD system is excellent quality (from Virgin Plus) however now i use SKY since i moved via Scart Lead and i find the picture quality is still excellent. i also use the DIGI DVD Recorder Via HDMI and with the exception of cartoons (family guy the lines can seem a little out of focus but more likely to be from the upscalling or possibly just cause im too close to it) the quality is again excellent. i havent used the freeview except for on the initial setup so i am unable to coment much on it however when i set up the TV the picture seemed fine but that was only for a couple of min. I would definatley recomend this TV to anyone after a decent sized tv as either there main tv or one for there bedroom as mine currently is. the price is excellent and the picture quality is more than adequate the cardreader is also handy for turning it into a giant digital photo frame should you wish and is easy to use as well. Also while i remember about the sound as i havent really commented, my hearing isnt what it used to be however i find it clear and the BBE VIva is good
ontheqt 25 December 2008
Good: HD picture and sound are pretty good
Bad: Freeview image not the best
Comment: The inbuilt free view on this TV is awful. The free view looks cartoon like and soft. Standard definition signal via a scart lead using a source such as a Sky box is better, but via a Sky HD box using a certified 1080p HDMI cable the image is excellent and so is the sound. HD content is also pretty amazing and the difference between this set and a 100mhz set is negligible DVD's via a scart are also pretty good, the TV upscales the images well. Blueray HD images are awesome and improve standard definition DVD's via HDMI more so than via scart lead on a standard DVD player. All in all this TV is a good buy, but don't buy it if you intend to use the in built free view, you will have wasted your money. At around £550 online this TV is an absolute steal. Make sure you review this TV 6.6 rating by CNET is a touch insulting for such a good set.
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