TechRadar Verdict
The Panasonic TX-L47ET60B isn't as good as its plasmas. This LED-backlit LCD TV, however, is just as good as its real rivals - and probably better.
Pros
- +
Passive 3D
- +
My Home Screen
- +
Build quality and design
- +
True Cinema
- +
Upscaling
Cons
- -
Only two pairs of 3D glasses
- -
High price
- -
Black levels
- -
Middling contrast
- -
Poor sound
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Panasonic isn't the only major TV manufacturer to almost completely forget about 3D TV this year. Despite having 3D gubbins inside, there's barely a mention of it in the specs for the Panasonic TX-L47ET60B. Instead, Panasonic's lineup for 2013 is all about big screens and smart TV, and this 47-inch TV is a great example of both.
If 2012 was the year this plasma-obsessed manufacturer embraced LED backlighting, this year its new love is passive 3D, which now completely dominates its LCD TVs.
As well as the 'easy' 3D system and a Full HD IPS panel, the Panasonic TX-L47ET60B features new smart TV features, notably a My Home Screen function that's home to apps, browser shortcuts and other widgets, and customisable to multiple users.
Most viewers will have a tablet or at least a smartphone, Panasonic reckons, which explains its new Apple AirPlay-esque idea Swipe & Share 2.0, an app-based feature that sees two-way file exchanges between the TV and your smart devices.
Looks-wise the Panasonic TX-L47ET60B is on the money. A silver bezel that's barely 8mm slim (plus another 2mm gap between it and the screen) is impressive, as is its overall depth of just 35mm.
From being a manufacturer that was regularly a year behind the zeitgeist in design terms, the Panasonic TX-L47ET60B now represents one of the best-looking mid-range TVs around. A transparent lip at the bottom of the screen adds a further touch of lightness, though the squared-off corners could be judged a little harsh.
However, the build quality is excellent - peerless, even, in this commodity market - and far above average for the £1,100 (around US$1,662 / AU$1,596) price. We don't suppose gloss black will become particularly hard to find in 2013, but it's good to see it taking a back seat on this, one of the first of Panasonic's new flatscreen TVs for spring.
Also available
The ET60 Series, of which the Panasonic TX-L47ET60B is a member, constitutes the third rung of the Japanese manufacturer's lineup for 2013. As well as the Panasonic TX-L47ET60B, it comes in three other guises, the 42-inch Panasonic TX-L42ET60B, 50-inch Panasonic TX-L50ET60B and 55-inch Panasonic TX-L55ET60B.
Above it in Panasonic's LED-backlit LCD TV sector are the 55-inch Panasonic TX-L55DT65 and 60-inch Panasonic TX-L60DT65, which add voice interaction and recognition - each time you switch on the TV, no less - plus a dual-core Hexa Processing Engine.
Also higher up the range is the flagship 47-inch Panasonic TX-L47WT65 and the 55-inch Panasonic TX-L55WT65, which boast Clear Panel Pro, voice interaction and so-called 'Infinite Contrast'.
Panasonic's new plasmas for 2013 - the VT65 Series and 'reference level' ZT65 Series - are also worth bearing in mind.
