Hello all, I pulled the trigger last year before Black Friday because I needed a good gaming TV with low input lag. My budget was around $500-$600. The models I narrowed it down to for the features I wanted were the LG 37LK450 LED-LCD, the Panasonic Viera TC-L32U3, the Panasonic Viera TC-L42U30, the Panasonic Viera TC-L32E3, and the Panasonic Viera TC-L42E30 (personal preference for me). After quite a bit of research and some testing, I settled on a Panasonic Viera TC-L32E3 at BB for $450 on Nov 17, 2011 and then priced-matched it when BB lowered the price of this particular set down to $300 as a online one-day only sale on Nov. 20, 2011 (best experience I've ever had at BB, that's for sure!).
Since I now have had this set for 3+ months, I've been pretty impressed with it aside from a few issues that I've noticed. For my purposes, though, it's performed to expectations.
Currently, I mostly use it for gaming on the PS3 and older-generation consoles, and play a few Blu-rays and DVDs on the side. I've yet to try cable TV watching on it. I've tried using it as a PC monitor but my PC's graphics card doesn't seem to like VGA input, but I do not believe any of the 2011 Panasonic Viera models support 4:4:4 Chroma subsampling. I've used the Easy IPTV functions but it's not something I consider absolutely necessary for me. I mostly use this HDTV at night with low light, next to my PC.
I searched around site and could not find any specific threads about this specific line of the LED-LCD Panasonic E3 series, so I made this thread for any owners out there of this particular model series. There's already quite a few threads out there for the all the Panasonic U3 / U30 series, but mostly just comparisons from other threads.
I need some information on calibration setups and settings for this E3 series, specifically the 32" and 37" sizes (the 42" E3 model apparently has a LG S-IPS panel, not an IPS-alpha for the smaller sizes, so settings may be slightly different on that model). I also may need to use the service menu for calibration, so any input on settings with that would be greatly appreciated. Any firmware updates would help as well (I currently have firmware version 1.300).
Pros:
Excellent out-of-the-box PQ for the sizes offered
Good black levels
Very low input lag
IPS alpha panel (good horizontal off-center viewing angles)
Good mix of inputs, especially when compared to the U3 models
Cons/Issues:
Backlight flickering (white or dark flashes every 60 seconds)
Light bleeding / Brightness uniformity (this seems to be a problem with all edge-lit LEDs, not just Panny)
Input lag not quite as good as the 2009 models (namely the X1 and S1 series)
No 4:4:4 YUV Chroma support for PC monitor usage
Usage for PC monitor is only supported through HDMI for some graphics cards
No Viera Connect, only the Easy IPTV is supported for Smart features
Thanks again.
Since I now have had this set for 3+ months, I've been pretty impressed with it aside from a few issues that I've noticed. For my purposes, though, it's performed to expectations.
Currently, I mostly use it for gaming on the PS3 and older-generation consoles, and play a few Blu-rays and DVDs on the side. I've yet to try cable TV watching on it. I've tried using it as a PC monitor but my PC's graphics card doesn't seem to like VGA input, but I do not believe any of the 2011 Panasonic Viera models support 4:4:4 Chroma subsampling. I've used the Easy IPTV functions but it's not something I consider absolutely necessary for me. I mostly use this HDTV at night with low light, next to my PC.
I searched around site and could not find any specific threads about this specific line of the LED-LCD Panasonic E3 series, so I made this thread for any owners out there of this particular model series. There's already quite a few threads out there for the all the Panasonic U3 / U30 series, but mostly just comparisons from other threads.
I need some information on calibration setups and settings for this E3 series, specifically the 32" and 37" sizes (the 42" E3 model apparently has a LG S-IPS panel, not an IPS-alpha for the smaller sizes, so settings may be slightly different on that model). I also may need to use the service menu for calibration, so any input on settings with that would be greatly appreciated. Any firmware updates would help as well (I currently have firmware version 1.300).
Pros:
Excellent out-of-the-box PQ for the sizes offered
Good black levels
Very low input lag
IPS alpha panel (good horizontal off-center viewing angles)
Good mix of inputs, especially when compared to the U3 models
Cons/Issues:
Backlight flickering (white or dark flashes every 60 seconds)
Light bleeding / Brightness uniformity (this seems to be a problem with all edge-lit LEDs, not just Panny)
Input lag not quite as good as the 2009 models (namely the X1 and S1 series)
No 4:4:4 YUV Chroma support for PC monitor usage
Usage for PC monitor is only supported through HDMI for some graphics cards
No Viera Connect, only the Easy IPTV is supported for Smart features
Thanks again.
