Panasonic VIERA TH-P65VT20D 3D Plasma TV

Many customers out there are having a difficult time choosing the right type of HDTV these days, with the many options of LCD televisions. Plasma TVs have been around roughly the same amount of time, but they are only popular for their larger screens. Choosing a plasma television has its fair share of advantages over LCD televisions and the main one being that plasma televisions can have a better picture quality on a larger display.

Simple, yet stylish interface

Panasonic has used this feature to their advantage and launched the VIERA TH-P65VT20D, a humongous 65-inch television that boasts of good blacklight levels, VIERA Cast and last but not least, the very much in demand, 3D compatibility.

Design and Build Quality
To say the VIERA TH-P65VT20D is big is an understatement; it’s monstrous! The 65-inch plasma television is designed for those with really big rooms and who have enough of space to view it from a proper distance. Being a plasma television, this is more bulk as compared to some of the LCD TVs we have seen recently. But, this is all due to the different technologies used in the different types of displays. This HDTV has a glossy finish and a rather large bezel. Though this TV is stylish looking, it is not one of the best looking ones we have seen in recent times. It is intimidating though because of its size.

Quick access side connectors

Quick connectivity options are located on the left side of the television, these include two USB ports, an HDMI port, a SD card and analog AV connectors. In addition to this, there are also controls for switching between the different inputs of the television as well as adjusting the TV display settings like brightness and contrast. The main I/O connections are seen at the rear of the TV. Though these may be located at the back, they are positioned quite close to the side connectors so these too can be somewhat easily accessible. The rear connectors are mainly for component and composite connections. There are also three HDMI ports, an S-Video port and a D-Sub port for connecting to a PC. There is also a Digital Audio Out connector and an Antenna connector which can be used to connect to a standard cable TV. Another interesting addition to this TV is the Ethernet port located at the rear for connecting to VIERA Cast which is Panasonic’s Internet service.

The bundled up 3D glasses are active, stylish and have a futuristic look and feel to it. They are bulkier than some of the glasses in the market and not everyone’s going to like that. Cell batteries are used to power these glasses and are not rechargeable. The build quality of these glasses is impressive. The glasses come with a cord so it can be put around your neck. There are also two attachments to fit on your nose so that  wearing the glasses is comfortable.

Ethernet port located at the top of all the connectors

The remote control of the television is well designed. Though it is a slim remote control the buttons are bold. There are quick access buttons on the controller for VIERA Link, VIERA tools and SD card which come in pretty handy when switching between modes.

The stand is really big and it would have to be, to be able to support a television of this size. The base of the stand  is approximately two feet in length and a foot and a half in depth. The base is basically a rectangular flat panel and like the television, it too has a glossy finish. The entire television is really heavy and it would require at least four people to lift it to attach the stand. The stand unlike most televisions does not have a swivel feature. This is one option which we missed as trying to access the rear connections became a cumbersome process due to the weight of this television.

Features
The full HD Panasonic VIERA TH-P65VT20D has some interesting features with the chief being the size of the television itself. Being 65-inches, it is a huge television and only a plasma television would be able to offer these picture qualities as of now in these sizes. Other interesting features of this television are the upscaling of 2D content to 3D, a high contrast ratio and the Panasonic VIERA Cast which helps one to watch Panasonic’s Internet content using a DLNA connection. The television also has a display resolution of 1080p.

VIERA Cast with YouTube and Wow TV

The 2D to 3D rendering option is a feature becoming quite common in high-end televisions, these days. Many major manufacturers are enabling this feature and offering different modes to view 3D content. We found that the Auto mode was the best option to watch 3D content.