Replaced my Toshiba 32WLT66 with this a week ago. Prior to buying it I read several reviews, and subscribed to “Which” – Panasonics are generally highly rated there. Set up was easy, and the difference is impressive. Both picture and especially sound are, as I’d hoped, much better. 1080P is definitely better than 1080i, and I can see and hear the difference. But I’m only comparing two models, and the Toshiba 32WLT66 is obsolete, and the equivalent only costs £364, so not really apples for apples. However, the improvement is marked, and particularly noticeable for Ps3 games. Details previously unseen and unheard come to life.
Only reason I didn’t give this a 5 – There are 3 HDMI ports. One at the side, and two facing directly out of the back. The issue is that I hang the TV on a wall. Heavy duty HDMI cables cannot be fitted to the ports on the back of the TV, because there isn’t enough room for the cable to bend, and my bracket only leaves 3/4″. The Toshiba’s ports pointed down – no issue with a wall getting in the way. So, buyers be aware, if you’re connecting more than one HDMI device, and mounting the TV on a wall, either make sure your TV is set well out from the wall (I think you’d need a 2-3″ gap) or buy more flexible HDMI cables.
My cables are sorted, and I’m delighted with the TV – it’s excellent.
Rating: 4 / 5
We have been looking at Flat Screen LCD’s for a few years now, but haven’t found any that we felt worth updgrading our CRT to. We were holding out for a 32inch with 1080p. We have seen WHICH reviews over the last couple of years raving about the Panasonic Viera and making them Best Buys, so when this model came out we eagerly awaited their review while comparing quality in the shops as well. They loved it, we liked it, so we bought it. It arrived on Wednesday last week, set up Thursday and haven’t looked back.
It’s absolutely brilliant! Everything that you could possibly want in a TV. I personally don’t find the setup or remote awkward as has been said in other reviews, but then we have a Panasonic DVD/HDD/VCR so we are used to Panasonic menus. Perhaps for someone unfamiliar they are a bit tricky?
We are thrilled with everything from the picture to the sound… We are SO glad we waited!
Rating: 5 / 5
Having bought this screen just over a week ago, with the minimum of reviews available, i must say that i’m extremely impressed with it.
Setup was simple but with enough adjustments to keep your average videophile amused, if only for a short while. There are some very slight issues with “whiting” in corners (from backlight) when displaying completely black screen…..pretty marginal though and not distracting.
SD TV performance is fine when viewed beyond a distance of 6′ or so. DVB tuner is simple to navigate with the option of using a top-up TV card for extra channels.
Sound seems ok but for the most part i’m running external a/v sources through a 5.1 system. The internal BBE Viva system seems perfectly adequate for TV purposes and has several settings for music/speech etc with a decent amount of “ooomph”.
Colours are rich and vivid and blacks are the deepest i’ve seen on an LCD screen. Fast moving images are extremely smooth and Panasonic’s 100hz Motion Picture Pro 2 + V-Real 3 tech appears to work a treat.
My current highest-def input is my Xbox 360 @ 1080i via component video and the upgrade from my old system (Sanyo PLV-Z4 projector @ 720p) is quite startling. Vivid and even Normal picture presets are so vastly more defined, clear and smooth that i’m quite happy running it in Cinema or even Eco mode for the time being.
Comparing this set to friend’s HD Ready screens is a happy experience and i honestly believe that this is probably the best 32′ LCD screen currently on the market. You pay a premium for kit like this but it’s certainly money well spent!
Can’t wait to get the full HD experience from Blu-Ray @ 1080p/24p.
Rating: 5 / 5
Have just taken delivery of the TX32LZD85. Ordered through Amazon at 16:00 one day delivered at 09:25 the day after. Amazing!
The TV more then lives up to it’s reputation in that the picture quality, even on non-HD Freeview and Sky is absolutely faultless. Initial set up, as other have stated, is dead easy (30 mins to get everything connected and for the TV to auto-tune). Setting individual parameters is also very easy. Having no previous experience of digital/HD TVs other than seeing them in retailers and being a bit dubious about the quality that such demo models display, we were a little bit wary of going digital. Our previous TV – an old analog Samsung, had a great picture but the Panansonic knocks spots off it. The depth of colour, the picture quality and the sound are all in a new dimension. Basically, if you were having any doubts about buying the Panasonic, don’t have – just buy!
Rating: 5 / 5
Had this TV for just over a week now and must say that it is quite an exceptional set:
Motion handling is top notch. You will not see much better handling of motion, on an LCD, at the moment. There is virtually no visible blur at any time. Full resolution is maintained where I would expect motion to have an LCD TV stumble.
Input lag is low enough to be undetectable when playing videogames (even the Wii’s pointer). This, alongside the sharp motion-handling, makes the lzd85 an ideal lcd for occasional gaming. This also means you can have an AV device directly connected to a separate amplifier without worry of sync issues between audio and video.
Black response is good. Black areas appear black, as opposed to grey, with dark details maintained. Again something that can be appreciated not just when watching movies, but also when playing games.
I mostly watch SD programs via the built-in Freeview tuner. I also have a standalone Freeview set-top box with upscaler (connected via RGB scart though). Comparing the two, the set-top box displays a sharper picture whereas the built-in tuner shows a cleaner picture. In fact, the picture is exceptionally clean with little to show in the form of blocky artefacts.
Audio is impressive. Considering this is an LCD television, sound can be full of strength with fine treble. Though I have mine connected to a Hi-Fi system I find the TV speakers perfectly sufficient for my bedroom. Stereo separation is decent in pseudo-surround modes.
Nothing is perfect though:
A various number of connections but picture settings are not remembered per input. You can have two different settings where one is for the built-in tuners and the other for connected devices.
Audio setting is universal over all inputs/tuners
Built in Freeview is very clean but at the cost of small visual details. I’d expect the mainstream consumer to prefer the way this TV handles it’s Freeview video, but why not give the consumer the choice to have such a filter on or off?
VGA input limited to 1366×768. Stereo Phono-In has to be used for audio input, from a computer, if the video cable is video-only (no dedicated PC Audio-In).
Definitely one of the better LCD TVs on the market that excels in both picture and audio quality. Recommended!
Other points
+Quality 1080p picture expresses sharp and clear images with rich colours
+Panel: IPS Alpha
+Unforced Overscan
+Wealthy number of inputs including optical/headphone/stereo-phono output
+Freeview guide is responsive and easy to navigate
+Swivels (hidden under base) – turn the TV enough and you’ll feel it
+Remote control layout and simple on-screen layout
+HDMI 1 auto switches to the connected device when activated
+No light-bleed of any sort (common problem) or noticeable dead pixels
+Compatible with Freeview TV Top Up card
+Child Lock individual channels and inputs
+No viewing angle problems at all
+Password & personal details entry for cases of theft
-No pixel mapping
-Remote control must be pointed towards the IR-receiver
-Interpolated (calculated) motion not always applicable
-Forced sharpening means poor computer display
Edit: (16th June) Despite the sharpening comment, I’ve been using the set as a computer monitor, with a new and fully HDMI capable graphics card, and now it displays superbly (GTX 285 HDMI YCbCr 4:4:4)
Also, a certain firmware update, released over the air, a few weeks ago, fixed certain technical issues for some people.
Rating: 5 / 5
Replaced my Toshiba 32WLT66 with this a week ago. Prior to buying it I read several reviews, and subscribed to “Which” – Panasonics are generally highly rated there. Set up was easy, and the difference is impressive. Both picture and especially sound are, as I’d hoped, much better. 1080P is definitely better than 1080i, and I can see and hear the difference. But I’m only comparing two models, and the Toshiba 32WLT66 is obsolete, and the equivalent only costs £364, so not really apples for apples. However, the improvement is marked, and particularly noticeable for Ps3 games. Details previously unseen and unheard come to life.
Only reason I didn’t give this a 5 – There are 3 HDMI ports. One at the side, and two facing directly out of the back. The issue is that I hang the TV on a wall. Heavy duty HDMI cables cannot be fitted to the ports on the back of the TV, because there isn’t enough room for the cable to bend, and my bracket only leaves 3/4″. The Toshiba’s ports pointed down – no issue with a wall getting in the way. So, buyers be aware, if you’re connecting more than one HDMI device, and mounting the TV on a wall, either make sure your TV is set well out from the wall (I think you’d need a 2-3″ gap) or buy more flexible HDMI cables.
My cables are sorted, and I’m delighted with the TV – it’s excellent.
Rating: 4 / 5
We have been looking at Flat Screen LCD’s for a few years now, but haven’t found any that we felt worth updgrading our CRT to. We were holding out for a 32inch with 1080p. We have seen WHICH reviews over the last couple of years raving about the Panasonic Viera and making them Best Buys, so when this model came out we eagerly awaited their review while comparing quality in the shops as well. They loved it, we liked it, so we bought it. It arrived on Wednesday last week, set up Thursday and haven’t looked back.
It’s absolutely brilliant! Everything that you could possibly want in a TV. I personally don’t find the setup or remote awkward as has been said in other reviews, but then we have a Panasonic DVD/HDD/VCR so we are used to Panasonic menus. Perhaps for someone unfamiliar they are a bit tricky?
We are thrilled with everything from the picture to the sound… We are SO glad we waited!
Rating: 5 / 5
Having bought this screen just over a week ago, with the minimum of reviews available, i must say that i’m extremely impressed with it.
Setup was simple but with enough adjustments to keep your average videophile amused, if only for a short while. There are some very slight issues with “whiting” in corners (from backlight) when displaying completely black screen…..pretty marginal though and not distracting.
SD TV performance is fine when viewed beyond a distance of 6′ or so. DVB tuner is simple to navigate with the option of using a top-up TV card for extra channels.
Sound seems ok but for the most part i’m running external a/v sources through a 5.1 system. The internal BBE Viva system seems perfectly adequate for TV purposes and has several settings for music/speech etc with a decent amount of “ooomph”.
Colours are rich and vivid and blacks are the deepest i’ve seen on an LCD screen. Fast moving images are extremely smooth and Panasonic’s 100hz Motion Picture Pro 2 + V-Real 3 tech appears to work a treat.
My current highest-def input is my Xbox 360 @ 1080i via component video and the upgrade from my old system (Sanyo PLV-Z4 projector @ 720p) is quite startling. Vivid and even Normal picture presets are so vastly more defined, clear and smooth that i’m quite happy running it in Cinema or even Eco mode for the time being.
Comparing this set to friend’s HD Ready screens is a happy experience and i honestly believe that this is probably the best 32′ LCD screen currently on the market. You pay a premium for kit like this but it’s certainly money well spent!
Can’t wait to get the full HD experience from Blu-Ray @ 1080p/24p.
Rating: 5 / 5
Have just taken delivery of the TX32LZD85. Ordered through Amazon at 16:00 one day delivered at 09:25 the day after. Amazing!
The TV more then lives up to it’s reputation in that the picture quality, even on non-HD Freeview and Sky is absolutely faultless. Initial set up, as other have stated, is dead easy (30 mins to get everything connected and for the TV to auto-tune). Setting individual parameters is also very easy. Having no previous experience of digital/HD TVs other than seeing them in retailers and being a bit dubious about the quality that such demo models display, we were a little bit wary of going digital. Our previous TV – an old analog Samsung, had a great picture but the Panansonic knocks spots off it. The depth of colour, the picture quality and the sound are all in a new dimension. Basically, if you were having any doubts about buying the Panasonic, don’t have – just buy!
Rating: 5 / 5
Had this TV for just over a week now and must say that it is quite an exceptional set:
Motion handling is top notch. You will not see much better handling of motion, on an LCD, at the moment. There is virtually no visible blur at any time. Full resolution is maintained where I would expect motion to have an LCD TV stumble.
Input lag is low enough to be undetectable when playing videogames (even the Wii’s pointer). This, alongside the sharp motion-handling, makes the lzd85 an ideal lcd for occasional gaming. This also means you can have an AV device directly connected to a separate amplifier without worry of sync issues between audio and video.
Black response is good. Black areas appear black, as opposed to grey, with dark details maintained. Again something that can be appreciated not just when watching movies, but also when playing games.
I mostly watch SD programs via the built-in Freeview tuner. I also have a standalone Freeview set-top box with upscaler (connected via RGB scart though). Comparing the two, the set-top box displays a sharper picture whereas the built-in tuner shows a cleaner picture. In fact, the picture is exceptionally clean with little to show in the form of blocky artefacts.
Audio is impressive. Considering this is an LCD television, sound can be full of strength with fine treble. Though I have mine connected to a Hi-Fi system I find the TV speakers perfectly sufficient for my bedroom. Stereo separation is decent in pseudo-surround modes.
Nothing is perfect though:
A various number of connections but picture settings are not remembered per input. You can have two different settings where one is for the built-in tuners and the other for connected devices.
Audio setting is universal over all inputs/tuners
Built in Freeview is very clean but at the cost of small visual details. I’d expect the mainstream consumer to prefer the way this TV handles it’s Freeview video, but why not give the consumer the choice to have such a filter on or off?
VGA input limited to 1366×768. Stereo Phono-In has to be used for audio input, from a computer, if the video cable is video-only (no dedicated PC Audio-In).
Definitely one of the better LCD TVs on the market that excels in both picture and audio quality. Recommended!
Other points
+Quality 1080p picture expresses sharp and clear images with rich colours
+Panel: IPS Alpha
+Unforced Overscan
+Wealthy number of inputs including optical/headphone/stereo-phono output
+Freeview guide is responsive and easy to navigate
+Swivels (hidden under base) – turn the TV enough and you’ll feel it
+Remote control layout and simple on-screen layout
+HDMI 1 auto switches to the connected device when activated
+No light-bleed of any sort (common problem) or noticeable dead pixels
+Compatible with Freeview TV Top Up card
+Child Lock individual channels and inputs
+No viewing angle problems at all
+Password & personal details entry for cases of theft
-No pixel mapping
-Remote control must be pointed towards the IR-receiver
-Interpolated (calculated) motion not always applicable
-Forced sharpening means poor computer display
Edit: (16th June) Despite the sharpening comment, I’ve been using the set as a computer monitor, with a new and fully HDMI capable graphics card, and now it displays superbly (GTX 285 HDMI YCbCr 4:4:4)
Also, a certain firmware update, released over the air, a few weeks ago, fixed certain technical issues for some people.
Rating: 5 / 5