Panasonic continues to be a strong proponent of plasma television technology and their sets are the go-to choice for many enthusiasts and video-files who want the highest picture quality available. For 2011, Panasonic has revamped their plasma lineup and made many improvements. The PGT30 series is their second highest plasma for this year. It replaces the highly reviewed GT20/25 and comes in 4 models:

• Panasonic TC-P65GT30 – 65 inch model
• Panasonic TC-P60GT30 – 60 inch model
• Panasonic TC-P55GT30 – 55 inch model
• Panasonic TC-P50GT30 – 50 inch model

Design

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 PGT30 has sharp lines and a clean, minimalist design. It is 1.5 inches deep with a 1.4 inch bezel. Not quite as thin as Samsung’s offerings, but still a big step forward. The PGT30 has a low profile, rectangular stand that is able to swivel. Panasonic needed a major redesign for their plasmas and they delivered with an attractive, modern look.

Panasonic has also released new 3D glasses that are less bulky, lighter weight and far more appealing than last year’s model. They now have an on/off switch and are also backwards compatible with 2010 TV models. Additionally, the 2010 glasses will still work with 2011 TVs.

Features

The PGT30 is a 3D TV and uses active shutter technology. It has THX certification which is the main step-up feature when compared to the lower ST30 series. Other highlights are Wi-Fi, 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.

Performance

Overall, the PGT30 has been found to perform very highly. It delivers great picture quality with dark blacks and accurate colors. Its fast changing phosphors produce a fast response time and provide great detail. While not perfect, the THX mode offers great out of the box picture quality with black levels comparable to last year’s high end Panasonic plasmas. In certain situations, black and grey levels can fluctuate and shadow detail is lost, but overall, the pros greatly outweigh the cons.

The new dejudder processing is a “motion smoother” feature that increases the motion resolution but doesn’t have a noticeable effect on blur, which was found to be minimal anyway. 1080p/24 content is also handled properly. There is an antireflective screen that works quite well, but the glass front still produces some reflections in bright rooms. 3D performance has also been improved since last year and the result is less crosstalk and greater detail in THX mode. However, a dark environment is still ideal for 3D as colors and black levels tend to wash out under bright light.

Conclusion

The 2011 Panasonic PGT30 plasma offers superb all around picture quality, a wide arrange of features and content, an attractive redesign and improved 3D quality. It lives up to the high standard that Panasonic has set in past years and is a great choice for anyone looking for a higher end set with great performance.
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