Panasonic P65VT30 Plasma TV Review

Good all around picture quality, anchored by the deepest levels of black plasma of the year, make the Panasonic TC-P65VT30 the TV series with better performance than we had in 2011. The VT30 is a very good 3D artist, more or less equal to the GT30, but was not as good as the two of Samsung in our line in the management of interference. Add the Samsung model for our tests UN55D8000 LED 3D, and again the best performer in the room.

In recent years, design hasn’t been one of the strong points for Panasonic’s plasmas but in 2011 they have slimmed down all models and incorporated an elegant look. The Panasonic TC-P65VT30 has sharp lines and a clean, minimalist design. The front panel features a single pane of glass that covers the entire screen. When compared to the VT25, the VT30 has a narrower panel and bezel, although it isn’t quite as sleek as Samsung’s high end plasmas. The stand is rectangular and low profile, but is not able to swivel. Overall, the TC-P65VT30 is understated yet attractive.

The Panasonic TC-P65VT30 was one of the most anticipated plasma TVs of 2011. Its features make it a bit different from the other plasmas. After the launch, it continues to be the favorite among people. That shows that Panasonic has delivered what it promised with this plasma TV. The video processing and picture uniformity of this model is next to no one. Other models, which experts predicted would give a tough fight to this model, do not come anywhere near this plasma in terms of performance. The dejudder processing present improves the motion resolution hugely. The model has a mode of 96 Hz, which reduces the artifacts considerably. The 3D quality of Panasonic TC-P65VT30 is also much better than the competing models. The Panasonic TC-P65VT30 is a 3D TV and uses active shutter technology. It has THX certification for both 2D and 3D. One feature that separates it from the step down Panasonic PGT30 is its 96hz mode for 1080p/24 content. Other highlights are an included Wi-Fi dongle, DLNA and a new dejudder processing. Panasonic has also revamped its Internet suite. It is now called Viera Connect and has expanded content offerings and a new app store. Available content includes Facebook, Twitter, Shoutcast, Netflix, Skype and Picasa, along with several games.

Although the colors in THX mode looked good in the VT30, with a saturation of large and accurate color points, the Samsung was higher in general in this area. The Panasonic seems to have a slightly greenish cast to many scenes side by side comparison with the Samsung and the other, a difference that was visible especially in skin tones - such as the face and arms and wheels to Jake Quaritch speech in Chapter 2, or the faces of the cafeteria workers in Chapter 12. On the other hand the VT30 THX looked better than the little red GT30, but fell slightly below the reference we expect from a high-end TV.