Unboxing the new Panasonic Smart Viera LED TV, the ET50 range, TX-L42ET50B

Today in my shop, I got to unbox a new toy, the brand new 2012 Panasonic ET50 LED TV.
The one we unboxed to put through its paces was the 42″ model.
Now I have taken a lot of pictures, but I wanted this to not only be an unboxing piece, but also an advisory guide too.
This model is stacked full of features, it’s an IPS LED panel that’s 1080p, the backlight scanning technology boasts an impressive 800Hz.

The boxes this year are a lot slimmer than last years, this means that Panasonic holds up its end of the bargain on their Eco pledge, as they are now able to ship more products on planes and cargo ships, meaning they can ship more products, whilst at the same time, maintaining a lower carbon footprint.
The pictures below show the sealed box as any customer will get, and you’ll also see that Panasonic are making sure everyone knows about their partnership with this years Olympic Games.

One good thing to see this year is the addition of an extra piece of packaging to make sure the screen stays secure, so before anyone starts complaining about less packaging, remember that less is more.

So to start with I unpacked all the accessories and laid them out for everyone to see what you get in the box.

Big thing Panasonic are pushing is the revised remote control, now this isn’t the remote you will get on lower spec models, but from the mid range up, it’s not a bad bit of kit.
The volume and channel +\- buttons have been moved to a more prominent position above the number keys. It also features a backlight to make using the remote even easier, especially when in low lit conditions, as the images below will show.

So once all the accessories are unpacked it’s onto building up the pedestal. Pretty straight forward, simply see the pictures below for this first part.
Just a quick note regarding the pedestal, it’s really nicely crafted and finished. Brushed metal finish, looks super slim and modern. But also has a touch of quality about it.

Now for attaching the screen to the pedestal, this is not like any other previous Panasonic TV, normally, you slide the screen over and onto the pedestal, with this model, you have to hang the screen on 3 lips, which are marked by arrows.

Once you have done this,then fit the small cover provided to hide the ugly plate and screws.

So you’re done, now, just a quick few pictures about connections, firstly, the wireless LAN module is attached to the bottom of the chassis on the opposite side to the connections. See below for relevant pictures of all connections.

Last 2 pieces of info for you, one is that you don’t have a fixed mains cable, and all you need to do is use what is known by many as a “Figure 8” mains cable.
And the TVs now come with an energy efficiency label which is a new EU Directive that says that pretty much all electrical products need to have a rating shown on a sticker. This TV has an A+ rating, so it’s super energy efficient.

Last of the 2 bits of info is that this TV is wafer thin, took the next picture once I had set it up. Very thin indeed.

So that’s our unboxing done, my review will follow very shortly, so watch this space!

Panasonic launch new range of LED TVs for 2012

Panasonic have launched their new 2012 VIERA range this month and where I work, we have received the first models.

The very first one we have un-boxed is the new passive 3D, yes you read it correctly, panasonic have produced a passive 3D TV, in which the panel has been made by a certain Korean company whose name has 2 initials.

The model in question is the new ET5 and it’s a 42″ version that is out.
It’s not a bad looking set as you can see from the pictures below:

Aside from the design, it’s an incredibly slim set and has plenty of connections for both HDMI and USB.

Another cool feature before we get into all the SMART stuff is that a lot of the range this year has built in wifi! Hurrah, no more unsightly dongles being required to connect wirelessly to your router.
Plus it takes up a USB connection and I know feedback from customers has been that they wanted built in wifi and a web browser. Plus they didn’t want to shell out £50-£80 for a wifi dongle after they had bought their new shiny TV.

Only thing I’m not keen on is where the buttons are. A bit too far in round the back, just above the wireless LAN module that’s bolted onto the TV.
But Panasonic won’t want you to use the buttons as you get a remote and now you can use your iOS and android devices to control the TV via their very own VIERA Remote app.

SmarTViera
The Viera Connect platform has been a great addition to the features offered by Panasonic to their customers and now there are some new apps exclusively available on 2012 models. Apps such as Netflix are only available on 2012 sets that have the Viera Connect service, as opposed to people like me who own a 2010 or 2011 set.
Another exclusive feature is a Web Browser, now I’ve personally never known why people want a browser on their TV (won’t be supported or created by typical web browsers and whether or not it will support flash content either is an unknown) but Panasonic have once again bowed to consumer pressure for wanting passive 3D sets and including a web browser.
Images are below of the many apps you get on your new 2012 Panasonic Smart Viera.

The other welcome update is to the YouTube app, this has been long overdue but I do like the look and feel of this newly revamped app.

And last but not least before boring pictures of what you get in the box is what my firms website looks like on the new web browser.

All in all, it’s a nice TV, finished well and I’m looking forward to offering this model of set to many of my customers this year. You get plenty of telly for your cash.