Just bought this TV having read this rave review. Silly me thought Internet TV meant I could watch BBC iPLayer. WRONG! How can you rave about a top of the range internet enabled TV that can't get iPLayer?!!!
Just for further clarification, Panasonic has confirmed that NONE of the company's 2010 TVs will output 5.1 from Freeview HD, and that this will NOT be enabled with future firmware.
The 2011 TVs will output 5.1 from Freeview HD, though.
It's a different case with Freesat, though: all of Panasonic's Freesat TVs will automatically output 5.1 via optical or HDMI ARC when you switch the satellite tuner to an appropriate HD broadcast.
Panasonic says first 2011 models will be in shops by March.
And to clarify re dates - we first reviewed this Panasonic when it was launched (summer 2010), but it remains a current model and we recently re-tested it as part of a test in our January 2011 issue (hence 1/11)
Contrary to what the 'Against' box says, the set will indeed send 5.1 sound via the optical out. That includes Dolby Digital from the HD channels from the built in Freesat and Freeview tuners, or passthrough 5.1 delivered via HDMI.
There has been a software update since the review was written however, so maybe it was introduced with that.
You state that this set won't send 5.1 sound via optical out. However it has an HDMI Audio Return Channel so presumably the AV amp can receive the 5.1 signal via this link ?
Do you have any idea when the 2011 models will be in the shops? From your experience, is it likely to be at the beginning of the first quarter or the end of the last?
The first comment on this page is dated September 2010, but in the index in the mag, it says it was reviewed in 01/11 (I'm assuming you try to review new products soon after release date), leaving me a little confused.
Based partly upon the good review here, I bought this TV expecting great things. I was bitterly disappointed, so much so that I returned the set. The SD picture quality is horrendous and nothing like the "blistering" the review suggests. All I can think is that the reviewers have forgotten just how good an old-fashioned CRT set is in comparison with an LCD set when viewing Standard Def broadcasts.
This Panasonic rendered SD in a blurred, blotchy, pixelated mess, that no amount of tweaking cured. Every possible combination of the TV's effects and adjustments was tried, all without making an appreciable difference and certainly none came close to matching the picture quality of a mid-range CRT set that was displaying the same feed.
As said above, I was so disappointed with the SD quality that I returned the set, where it was checked and found to be in perfect working order. "That's as good as it gets for SD" was the technician's report. "Blistering"? I think not.
HD fares a lot better, producing sharp, well defined pictures with realistic colours, but, and it's a big but, the picture is let down badly by Panasonic's obsession with black. Sure, it does produce great blacks, but at the expense of all dark greys and shadow detail, which are rendered equally black. Every little bit of dark grey and shadow disappears and no amount of tweaking brings it back to an acceptable level. It's poor. Very, very poor.
The set does redeem itself in some ways though: great connectivity, double HD tuners and sound that is better than many flat-panel displays (it's not good though, just better than the competition).
So, what are you buying a TV for? If it's broadcast TV that includes a fair whack of SD content, don't waste your money; the picture quality is not discernibly better than an LCD set costing half as much.
If you will be watching a lot of HD, enjoy bright colours with good blacks and don't care about or notice the absence of shadow detail, then this TV might be for you.
Everybody has different ideas of what constitutes a good picture, but I cannot agree with the "blistering" tag What Hi-Fi give this set's SD performance. "Awful" is more apt.
Got to say i'm disappointed with the 32D25 too. This was a replacement for an old Sony Triniton set that had served my parents well for over 20 years! Not having bought an LCD display before, I turned to the What HiFi test and bought the Panasonic on its recommendation. Over the course of 20 years, I would expect technology to have developed to such an extent that a new tv of such high price would produce images nothing short of staggering. The result is a picture thats distorted, blurry, fuzzy and really irritating to watch for any length of time. If this is the best 32in that money can by today, then i'm at a loss to understand why we're paying such a high prices for it!
Comments
Just bought this TV having read this rave review. Silly me thought Internet TV meant I could watch BBC iPLayer. WRONG! How can you rave about a top of the range internet enabled TV that can't get iPLayer?!!!
Ignore this review. Go and buy a Sony!
Fixed.
Thanks for the info, joe23. The software update hadn't been released at the time we tested this set.
Just for further clarification, Panasonic has confirmed that NONE of the company's 2010 TVs will output 5.1 from Freeview HD, and that this will NOT be enabled with future firmware.
The 2011 TVs will output 5.1 from Freeview HD, though.
It's a different case with Freesat, though: all of Panasonic's Freesat TVs will automatically output 5.1 via optical or HDMI ARC when you switch the satellite tuner to an appropriate HD broadcast.
Panasonic says first 2011 models will be in shops by March.
And to clarify re dates - we first reviewed this Panasonic when it was launched (summer 2010), but it remains a current model and we recently re-tested it as part of a test in our January 2011 issue (hence 1/11)
Just FYI, the photo accompanying this review isn't the Panasonic. It's an LG.
Contrary to what the 'Against' box says, the set will indeed send 5.1 sound via the optical out. That includes Dolby Digital from the HD channels from the built in Freesat and Freeview tuners, or passthrough 5.1 delivered via HDMI.
There has been a software update since the review was written however, so maybe it was introduced with that.
You state that this set won't send 5.1 sound via optical out. However it has an HDMI Audio Return Channel so presumably the AV amp can receive the 5.1 signal via this link ?
Hi Claire,
Do you have any idea when the 2011 models will be in the shops? From your experience, is it likely to be at the beginning of the first quarter or the end of the last?
The first comment on this page is dated September 2010, but in the index in the mag, it says it was reviewed in 01/11 (I'm assuming you try to review new products soon after release date), leaving me a little confused.
Many thanks
Based partly upon the good review here, I bought this TV expecting great things. I was bitterly disappointed, so much so that I returned the set. The SD picture quality is horrendous and nothing like the "blistering" the review suggests. All I can think is that the reviewers have forgotten just how good an old-fashioned CRT set is in comparison with an LCD set when viewing Standard Def broadcasts.
This Panasonic rendered SD in a blurred, blotchy, pixelated mess, that no amount of tweaking cured. Every possible combination of the TV's effects and adjustments was tried, all without making an appreciable difference and certainly none came close to matching the picture quality of a mid-range CRT set that was displaying the same feed.
As said above, I was so disappointed with the SD quality that I returned the set, where it was checked and found to be in perfect working order. "That's as good as it gets for SD" was the technician's report. "Blistering"? I think not.
HD fares a lot better, producing sharp, well defined pictures with realistic colours, but, and it's a big but, the picture is let down badly by Panasonic's obsession with black. Sure, it does produce great blacks, but at the expense of all dark greys and shadow detail, which are rendered equally black. Every little bit of dark grey and shadow disappears and no amount of tweaking brings it back to an acceptable level. It's poor. Very, very poor.
The set does redeem itself in some ways though: great connectivity, double HD tuners and sound that is better than many flat-panel displays (it's not good though, just better than the competition).
So, what are you buying a TV for? If it's broadcast TV that includes a fair whack of SD content, don't waste your money; the picture quality is not discernibly better than an LCD set costing half as much.
If you will be watching a lot of HD, enjoy bright colours with good blacks and don't care about or notice the absence of shadow detail, then this TV might be for you.
Everybody has different ideas of what constitutes a good picture, but I cannot agree with the "blistering" tag What Hi-Fi give this set's SD performance. "Awful" is more apt.
Got to say i'm disappointed with the 32D25 too. This was a replacement for an old Sony Triniton set that had served my parents well for over 20 years! Not having bought an LCD display before, I turned to the What HiFi test and bought the Panasonic on its recommendation. Over the course of 20 years, I would expect technology to have developed to such an extent that a new tv of such high price would produce images nothing short of staggering. The result is a picture thats distorted, blurry, fuzzy and really irritating to watch for any length of time. If this is the best 32in that money can by today, then i'm at a loss to understand why we're paying such a high prices for it!