3D plasma TVs are becoming more and more popular, and as users increasingly demand the most realistic viewing experience possible, right there in their living rooms, the Panasonic TC-P60ST30 60-inch set has gained an excellent reputation. With this model, the company’s hugely successful VIERA line has taken another step forward, producing a TV that has become established as one of the leaders in its class. Although some early examples did suffer from uneven brightness, Panasonic soon produced an effective fix, and there are now very few problems to report with this TV.
3D pictures in full HD
Because Panasonic chose to equip the TC-P60ST30 with Frame Sequential Technology, when you watch a 3D production using suitable active-shutter glasses, you’re likely to come away impressed. The images for alternate eyes flash by at a startling 120 frames per second, giving full 1080p picture quality with a smooth and fluid movement, doing away with the choppy pictures from which some other 3D TVs can suffer. A nice side-effect of this is that you can use this TV, even for extended periods, without the risk of discomfort or eyestrain. A good thing, as there isn’t much point in buying a product like this and hardly using it!
“Have owned for 6 months, could not imagine a better quality TV in existence”
- Gregg Cornett, amazon.com
Perfect, inky blacks
Color reproduction is important with any TV, but when you’re dealing with a screen of this size, it becomes even more so. Plasma sets are generally good at making black areas look truly black – rather than the dark gray seen with some LCD TVs – but the TC-P60ST30 is a cut above the rest in this department. Panasonic’s admittedly oddly named “Infinite Black 2″ technology really does work, delivering satisfyingly true blacks even in the brightest of environments. It’s surprising just how much better a horror film can look when the dark shadows in a room’s corners really are dark!
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Continuous 1080-line resolution
Many TVs are unable to maintain a full 1080 lines of moving-picture resolution, but the TC-P60ST30 handles this with ease. The latest phosphor technology is employed to allow sharpness to be retained even in the fastest-moving images, while distracting afterimages are greatly reduced. The upshot is a cleaner, clearer picture in both 3D and 2D modes, even when you’re watching fast-moving sports. Although the default configuration will be good for most people, you may find you need to do a little adjustment to get things looking just how you want them. It’s worth taking this effort.
“The color even out of the box was breathtaking and the blacks were spot on”
- D. DePanicis, amazon.com
Play back your own 3D movies
The quality of the TC-P60ST30′s 3D output is such that you could be excused for sticking to commercial movies – with Blu-ray discs in particular, the immersion factor is quite stunning. However, it’s a whole lot more fun when you make the films yourself. The Panasonic makes this easy, providing a simple SD card-based interface. All you have to do is to shoot your footage on your own 3D-compatible device – both cameras and camcorders are supported – insert the card, and the TV will take care of the rest. There’s nothing quite like seeing yourself up there on a huge, 60-inch screen!
Part of the family
The TC-P60ST30 offers a full three dimensions on its own, but an extra dimension is added by the TV’s excellent abilities when it comes to connectivity. This is something Panasonic devices have long been known for, and it’s good to see it continuing here. The VIERA Link feature allows you to operate a number of other Panasonic devices using the TV’s own remote control – all you need is a simple HDMI cable. Meanwhile, VIERA Remote lets you use an official and pleasingly easy-to-use Panasonic app to control your TV from Apple devices such as the iPhone or iPad.
Recommendation
The Panasonic TC-P60ST30 60-inch plasma TV has received a warm welcome from buyers, and when you consider the breadth of its features and the all-round ability that it can boast, it’s not difficult to see why. The Panasonic name has been a sign of quality for a long time now, and that certainly hasn’t changed here. A plasma screen, especially one of this size, does need a little setting up to be tailored precisely to your tastes – but once you’ve done that, you’re likely to find that the TC-P60ST30 will give you a very satisfying viewing experience.
