Panasonic Viera TH-L42E30 (42-inch LCD)

The TH-L42E30 is Panasonic's current top-of-the-line 2D LED TV sporting an updated design and capabilities. Some of its key features include a high-performance IPS-Alpha panel, a faster 100Hz refresh rate and the company's Viera Connect smart TV platform.

On the whole, we like this 42-incher's sharper-than-average and fluid picture quality, but purists might find its colors overly bluish compared with the warm hues of commercial theaters. There's also no Web browser unlike most of its competitors.

Design

The TH-L42E30 is not a particularly stylish panel, though Panasonic has given it a unique "fading" silver accent to complement its piano-black bezel. The lighter shade also extends to a low-profile stand, which unfortunately lacks swiveling capability. Nevertheless, users should find the slightly recessed TV controls and side A/V inputs easily accessible even after mounting the set on a wall.

	Design and layout
Panel depth	41mm
Bezel width	33mm
Finishing	Glossy screen; plastic bezel in black and silver hues
TV controls	Right side: Push buttons
Auxiliary A/V inputs	Left side: USB, SD card slot, HDMI, composite-A/V, earphone
Mounting option	Non-swivel stand; wall bracket

We like the ergonomic remote that not only felt comfortable in hand, but also features a suite of rubberized buttons with a nice tactile feedback. This includes abundant shortcuts for frequently used functions such as separate TV and A/V buttons to expedite video input selection. Switching to BD/DVD mode allows you to operate other Panasonic disc players and home theater systems.

	Remote control
Form factor	Longish; rounded bottom; 225mm-long
Finishing	Plastic; gun-metal
Backlight	N.A.
Input selection keys	Input
Multifunctional control	Blu-ray/DVD

The menu offers a generous selection of six video presets with independent memory for each input. However, there're limited advanced settings and no extras such as an instruction manual found in newer TVs.

	Software menu
User interface	Text-based; colored
Video modes	Dynamic; Normal; Cinema; True Cinema; Game; Photo
Audio modes	Music; Speech; User
Key advanced settings	Backlight adjustment; Motion Picture Pro (100Hz); overscan
Notable extras	N.A.

Features

This Panasonic is equipped with a higher-end LED-edgelit panel featuring IPS-Alpha technology renowned for delivering wider viewing angles. Its picture quality is further enhanced through a faster 100Hz refresh rate, as well as a native 10-bit color reproduction system to produce richer hues.

	A/V and multimedia
Video	IPS-Alpha panel; LED-edgelit; 100Hz refresh rate
Audio	10W x 2; V-Audio ProSurround; Dolby Digital; DTS
Multimedia	MP3, WMA, JPEG, MPEG-1/2/4, H.264, VC-1, DivX Plus HD, WMV-HD, MKV via SDXC slot, triple USB, Ethernet and optional Wi-Fi
TV tuner	Analog, digital (DVB-T)

Another highlight is Viera Connect, which is a cloud-based smart TV platform with an app store called the Viera Connect Market. There're currently around 40 apps such as video-on-demand (VOD) services, social network portals and games, though a Web-browsing function has been notably omitted.


To ensure easier text input and overall ease-of-use for Viera Connect, Panasonic is offering free remote apps that come with a keyboard and a touchpad. The software works for both Android and iOS devices, too. Find out more from our Viera Connect hands-on article.

	Smart TV and Skype
Apps	39 apps downloadable from Viera Connect Market
Web browser	N.A.
Control option(s)	USB keyboard; remote apps (Android and iOS)
Skype	Via optional camera

The TH-L42E30 has strong overall connectivity. There're four HDMI inputs, three USB ports to connect external storage devices, an Wi-Fi adapter (bundled with the TV in Singapore) and an S$159 Skype camera in addition to an SDXC card slot used for multimedia playback.

Furthermore, audiophiles should appreciate the TV's optical socket that is capable of outputting 5.1-channel DTS and Dolby Digital surround sound to a home theater system.

	Connectivity
HDMI input(s)	Four sockets, version 1.4, 24p-ready; Viera Connect (HDMI-CEC), HDMI ARC
Component-video input(s)	One socket; 1080i-ready
PC input	Analog, 1080p-ready
Audio output(s)	Analog, digital optical

Performance

TV broadcasts
Standard-definition broadcasts in both analog and digital formats had above-average sharpness and looked pretty smooth on the TH-L42E30. Noise was quite low across the board as well, though most digital channels provided slightly higher clarity and less ghosting compared with the rather patchy analog pictures. However, a small tradeoff was the softer speakers when receiving digital programs.

Switching to HD broadcasts delivered an instant fidelity boast as expected, while the reception was generally strong without frequent pixelation.

DVDs
The Panasonic performed superbly in DVD-upscaling with it crisp visuals and fine details. Jaggies were very minimal despite the stronger sharpness except that older films can appear grainier at times. Moreover, the TV's built-in noise reduction function was too conservative to address this problem.

Unlike other panels, there was absolutely no image cropping along the sides after overscan was disabled in the software menu. Most panning scenes were nicely rendered, thanks to the Viera's 100Hz refresh rate.

Blu-ray Discs
Expect nothing less than highly detailed images and razor-sharp clarity when playing back these 1080p content. However, the sharpness can be excessive for purists and users who frequent movie theaters.

Interestingly, we had to set the 100Hz processing to maximum to completely eradicate any trace of judder. We were initially worried that this would cause some motion artifacts, but thankfully, there were none. Additionally, the smoothing effect was reasonably natural without looking cartoonish.

Color Accuracy
Instead of the right warm tonality, our calibrated review unit exhibited overly bluish hues which resulted in pale skin tones for Caucasians in some shows and films. The inky blacks that greeted us onscreen were noticeable lighter after we dimmed the room lighting, too. Another issue is a mild red push we picked up during the Avia calibration DVD's color decoding test.

Conversely, the TH-L42E30 fared much better at rendering subtle shadow detail and discerning various shades of blacks in grayscale tracking tests. Color vibrancy was another of its strong trait.

Audio
The TV speakers were loud and belted out balanced sound with audible but light bass. The resultant stereo imaging was equally admirable, while Panasonic's V-Audio ProSurround processing added some airiness to the soundstage.

Miscellaneous
The glossy panel was quite reflective, but offered an exceptionally wide viewing angle true to its IPS design. The screen's brightness uniformity could have been better with uneven patches that were visible during darker scenes. However, we cannot confirm if this is an isolated case or a common issue for all production units.

Meanwhile, power consumption using our calibration settings was averaging at a mere 53W.

	Rating
TV broadcasts	Good
DVDs	Good
Blu-ray Discs	Good
Color accuracy	Average
Audio	Good

Conclusion

At S$1,499, the Panasonic TH-L42E30 is one of the pricier LED TVs which are retailing between S$1,199 and S$1,699. We cannot wholehearted recommend this 42-incher considering its color inaccuracy and Web browser omission, though you should also take note of its overall crisp and fluid visuals.

Test setup and tools

Equipment	Model(s)
Reference 3D Blu-ray player	Panasonic DMP-BDT300
Reference DVD player	Pioneer DV-S969AVi
Reference game consoles	Sony PS3/Xbox 360
A/V interconnects	Monster cables/Philips/Gefen
HDMI distribution	Gefen
Reference LED-lit TV	Samsung LA46A950
Reference plasma/3D TVn	Panasonic Viera TH-P50VT20S
Calibration tool	DataColor SpyderTV Pro