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Despite claiming Edge LED backlighting, Full HD resolution and a Freeview HD tuner that can make recordings to USB, the headline act on the TX-L37ET5 is undoubtedly its Easy 3D system. Based around an alien panel - made by LG - this once-only replacement by Panasonic of its own active shutter 3D system isn't quite as strange as it seems.
Easy 3D, which uses completely passive 3D glasses, is a softer experience altogether; the glasses are just £1 to replace (and there are four of them in the box already), lighter and more comfortable to wear, and there's no need to recharge them. When compared to active shutter specs, which need syncing and even pairing with a TV if Bluetooth is used (which can get tricky, especially if you use them with multiple TVs), Easy 3D deserves its name.
Active shutter 3D tech can be disappointing on LCD panels - especially affordable types like this one - so Panasonic's use of Easy 3D should be thought of as filling a gap in its range by speccing-up the reasonably cheap ET5 line-up.
The actual panel, which at 37-inch is perhaps a little small for truly immersive 3D, has a Panasonic GUI slapped over LG-made hardware that uses a blinking backlight to reach its 300Hz claim; this is actually a 100Hz panel.
Ins and outs include four HDMI slots - all housed in the TX-L37ET5's side - accompanied by component video and composite video (which actually share the same input thanks to some proprietary adaptors), a D-sub 15-pin (again a 'mini' version) for attaching a PC, a sole Scart (via an adaptor), some phono inputs, an optical audio output (for taking Freeview audio to a home cinema), and a headphones jack.
There also an SD card slot and an impressive three USB slots, including two powered versions, which we assume is a legacy of the same chassis's use on Panasonic's active shutter 3D sets where the glasses need recharging via USB.
For the first time VIERA Connect includes a browser that's compatible with graphics-heavy HTML5 sites, though not with Flash. The browser is a separate download - actually from the 'games' folder - amid quickly expanding Viera Marketplace, which includes a plethora of apps and accessories that can be purchased.
Set-up involves creating an account (that annoyingly needs a very long password and PIN number) and adding payment details. Games are limited to Asphalt 5 (€5.74) and some free versions of Uno, Let's Golf and the usual chess and Sudoku, though a separate Shopping area sells games controllers and keyboards from Logitech, and Panasonic-made Skype headsets and 3D glasses.
Thankfully Wi-Fi powers all of this, and its DLNA home networking dimension, though a wired LAN option is also available.
