Panasonic TX-49DX600B review

The DX600 series sits in the middle of Panasonic's 2016 range of 4K TVs. It offers the superb value of a sub-premium price while also offering 4K picture and the fantastic FirefoxOS smart TV system - for that alone it's worth considering.

This DX600 range is very similar to the DX700, but costs a fraction less and consequently comes without HDR features. If you read our DX700 review though, you'll see maybe that's not really a big loss.

The TV sits alongside the 40-inch Panasonic TX-40DX600 that we reviewed last month as well as the slightly bigger 55-inch Panasonic TX-55DX600. This is a mini review so if you want all the details about the DX600 check out the write-up on the 40-inch model.

Panasonic is the only TV manufacturer to use Mozilla's Firefox OS. And an OS it certainly is; to call it simply a smart TV interface ignores the fact that it represents a fully joined-up user interface where apps, inputs, external devices and catch-up TV are integrated as one.

Firefox is a really easy user interface to understand and to use. The design is pure minimalism – three colourful, circular icons for live TV, apps and devices are presented against a photographic background that also includes a search option, and the current time.

It's all simple, clean and vividly colourful, and looks like a phone interface, which sadly the Firefox OS will no longer become. Firefox OS on smart TVs is all about customisation, with constant opportunities to 'pin' anything to that main home screen.

Picture quality

Apart from the lack of HDR features, the DX600 is a highly capable TV that justifies its price. By supporting 4K from YouTube, Amazon and Netflix – as well as every downloaded 4K file we could find – the DX600 shows itself as truly 4K in every sense. Better still, images are clean and retain detail.

The key here is the 49DX600's excellent motion resolution which keeps 4K looking sharp, equally as impressive with sport as with movies. And as has become the norm with Panasonic TV's these days, it's the spotless and speedy Firefox OS that takes most of the credit for making the 49DX600 a fine living room TV that's fit for the 4K future.

This model's picture is supplied by an IPS panel rather than the VA kind found in the 40-inch model and that means that picture quality is not going to be as good in both contrast ratio and viewing angle.

Verdict

The 49-inch DX600 is a superb TV and offers stunning 4K and HD pictures at a highly affordable price. We reviewed this TV at £649 but we'd be surprised if you couldn't find it for less pretty soon. Picture quality is excellent and smart TV performance is right up there with the best.

This article is based on the Panasonic TX-40DX600 review that techradar published in May 2016