Panasonic Smart VIERA TX-LR47DT60 TV comes close to the flagship – with an adequate sound system, subwoofer and a full set of Smart gadgets

At the beginning of this year at the Panasonic Convention 2013 in Nice, a lot of new gadgets were presented. Among them was the Smart VIERA TX-LR47DT60. It is not at all difficult to define the positioning of this TV set: DT60 lineup is a prelude to the new model range of the company. All their boldest ideas Japanese designers addressed to the flagship of 2013 among LED-TVs – WT60. However, when comparing the two model lines, not every average person can not determine which one is “cooler. Our hero Panasonic Smart VIERA TX-LR47DT60 looks respectable and even rich. The matte metallic elements and chrome inserts alternate harmoniously and have already become standard for the older models.

Appearance

The thin frame of the screen at the bottom is supplemented with a strip of transparent acrylic, which acts as a power indicator. Through a V-shaped bracket the case rests on a large rectangular stand. Such a modern, but nevertheless quite conservative solution many people will like. It is possible to define DT60 positioning regarding WT60 only by looking from the rear: the rear panel of Smart VIERA TX-LR47DT60 is in black color – unlike the more elegant white of the most expensive Panasonic LED TVs.

A solid supply of communication means allows you not to think about connecting external devices: three USB ports one of which is designed for current up to 900 mA and supports the USB 3.0 , three HDMI 1.4, digital audio output, SD-card slot, 3.5 mm analog audio output for headphones, component video input, SCART, one jack for terrestrial antenna or cable TV and two for satellite antenna, Ethernet port and CI-module connection interface. Somewhere in the depths of the device hidden WiFi IEEE802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0.

Why does a TV set may need Bluetooth? It is used by VIERA remote control. The delivery set includes the usual manipulator, but some actions will be more convenient to perform with the new device. To enhance ergonomics should be a touch area, with which you can scroll through the menu items and control the cursor. Compact size, minimalist style and only 11 buttons also play into the hands of the newcomer. A short tap on touchpad and pressing the button on the back of the remote control serve as an OK button or the left mouse button. It is hidden in a special recess under the index finger. Thanks to the fact that VIERA is paired with your TV using Bluetooth, it can be manipulated from any angle.

Picture

Since the DT60 series is not the most senior series, there must be some simplification compared to the flagship WT60. But in fact, the TV set under review is almost exactly the same as its older brother in terms of technical filling. Of course, this model is not without rare exceptions. For example, the Smart VIERA TX-LR47DT60 has only six backlight zones in reserve in contrast to the flagship’s sixteen. Because of this, the 1600 Hz BLS Backlight Scanning technology is used instead of the 3600 Hz BLS. The actual scanning frequency is 100 Hz.

From last year’s models the novelty has got a Clear Panel Pro filter that reduces the intensity of reflected light. It works quite successfully: despite semi-glossy screen coating the glare does not annoy you with its annoyance. There are no problems with viewing at a large deviation: the claimed viewing angle is 178 degrees, while the color drift remains quite modest.

With a high-quality IPS LED matrix, color reproduction is pleasing to the eye with natural tones and wide coverage. If a viewer is not satisfied with something, he can always fine tune the settings: the new generation of Panasonic TVs is far advanced in the field of customization. You can choose from five standard modes: Dynamic/Normal/Cinema/True Cinema/Custom.

Additionally you can try your luck with Professional 1/Professional 2. These are expert modes certified by ISF Imaging Science Foundation . A dual-core Hexa Processing Engine is responsible for the image processing, supporting six basic filters.

The evenness of backlighting also refers to the advantages of Smart VIERA TX-LR47DT60. Brightness is also a strong point of the device: in most situations, you will not want to resort to its maximum values. Black is not bad, but you could wish for more. On this parameter the considered model has standard indices for TVs with IPS LED matrix.

3D video technology has changed from active to passive. Because of this, the supplied glasses are several times thinner – the manufacturer puts four pairs in the box at once. However, there are some disadvantages: the real vertical resolution was reduced by half. However, we leave the selection of the preferred stereoscopic variant to the judgment of the end user, because every technology has its admirers.

Smart or not Smart?

Smart VIERA complex has undergone significant changes in 2013. Now the user has the right to choose the appearance of the main screen himself. Thanks to this the important applications and services will be available in one click. It is because of this feature that Panasonic itself calls this model and all the others with the new Smart VIERA version “the world’s first personalized TV”.

VIERA Connect brand store grows day by day: now it supports HTML5. In many ways, this would make life easier for developers, allowing them to offer universal offerings for platforms of different TV manufacturers. At the moment, the number of applications for America exceeds 130.

Of course, not all of them are equally useful, but most of them are functional. For example, video services like ivi, Netflix, Play: HD movies, Zoomby, TVZAVR and others will quite help to act as an alternative to terrestrial broadcasting. Rossiya, STS, RBC, Eurosport and Euronews TV channels have already opened their Smart Zone offices on Panasonic TVs. You can kill time with games, among which you can find, for example, Asphalt 5. It is likely that in the near future the computing power of televisions will grow so much that separate consoles will not be needed at all.

The Viera Remote App 2 deserves special praise.0 for iOS and Android. It allows you to replace the remote control with your smartphone, and to transfer the content video, music, photos from your mobile device to Panasonic Smart VIERA TX-LR47DT60 in a flash. Let’s finish our smart feature overview with the built-in browser. It easily digests Flash and even integrated videos. The only displeasure can be caused by the occasional slowness that occurs when you scroll through complex pages and update them. You can dial the address via the touch block of VIERA remote control. Only the patient ones will like this activity, so it’s better to have a separate keyboard. Voice input is also possible.

Built-in player

Almost any video format can be launched from an external USB stick: AVI/MKV/WMV/MP4/VOB/M2TS and more exotic extensions are supported. The media player plays 30GB movies without any problems, but with a small bitrate I used 30mbps during the test . There are problems with “heavy” mkv with a bitrate of 50 Mbps and more.

Sound

The DT60 family received three speakers: two 4W each plus one small 10W subwoofer. All together with a glance at the small thickness of the TV, they create a pretty good sound picture. Speech of actors and announcers is clear, music is pleasant.

Output

The price difference between similar proposals in the WT60 and DT60 range today is about 25 thousand Dollars. Technically the models are very close, and the Panasonic Smart VIERA TX-LR47DT60 reviewed today comes close to the flagship. Although it lacks the highest frequency matrix and a built-in camera, but boasts a high-quality picture with a mind-boggling number of settings, an adequate sound system with a subwoofer and a full set of Smart-gadgets.

“The world’s first personalized television” allows you to customize your home screen, install apps and wander the expanse of the global web. The integrated media player handles popular containers except mkv . Now Panasonic uses passive 3D video technology, which entails all its advantages and disadvantages.

Specifications

Diagonal 47 inches/119 cm

Resolution 1920×1080 pixels FullHD

IPS LED matrix technology

Passive 3D playback technology polarizing filter

PAL D, K, SECAM D, K, DVB-S/S2/C/T2, NTSC, M.NTSC

Connections 3 x HDMI, 3 x USB, component input, SCART, terrestrial antenna connector, two satellite antenna connectors, digital audio output, SD slot, CI, Ethernet

Built-in speakers 18W 2x4W + 1x10W

Smart TV, apps, browser, voice commands

Wi Fi IEEE802.11a/b/g/n

Nominal power of 152W

Dimensions with stand 1,067 x 713 x 261mm

Weight 19 kg