Skip to main content

Panasonic Viera’s 3D HDTVs coming in April

Electronics giant Panasonic has announced pricing and availability for its 2011 line of Viera LED-backlit LCD TV models, including two 3D HDTVs that will be available in April and a series of flat panels that will land between by May. All the units feature Internet connectivity, whether in the form of a fully-features package that includes things like Gameloft and access to sports sites, or a bare-bones IPTV service bundling together a handful of popular services.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

First up, the 2011 Viera 3D LCD HDTV lineup will have two models, the 37-inch TC-L37T30 and the 32-inching TC-L32T30. Both units feature an IPS Alpha panel for rapid response (240 Hz refresh) and wide viewing angles, and the full package of Internet capabilities (wired or Wi-Fi), including Netflix, Amazon VOD, CinemaNow, Hulu Plus, Napster, Pandora, Facebook, and Gameloft, as well as sports sites like MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS. The units also sport four HDMI connections, three USB ports, an SD card slot, DLNA compatibility, PC input, and Panasonic’s Viera link for hooking together Panasonic peripherals. Expect to see them in April, with the 37-inch model carrying a suggested price of $1,299.95 and the 32-incher going for $1,199.95.

Recommended Videos

Folks not looking to jump into 3D, Panasonic’s new E3 series will include 42-, 37-, and 32-inch sets with an IPS LED panel (60 Hz refresh rate), four HDMI connections, two USB ports, and DLNA compatibility. The E3-series will feature “Easy IPTV” which connects to just six services—Netflix, CinemaNow, Amazon, Napster, Pandora, and—you can relax now—Facebook. The E3 series should be available this month, with the 32-incher going for a suggested retail price of $699.95, the 37-inch model going for $799.95, and the 42-incher coming in at $949.95.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Stepping up a bit, Panasonic’s E30 series are similar to the E3s, but offer 120 MHz refresh rates with the TC-L42E30 42-inch version featuring a clear panel to enhance contrast and reduce reflections from other light sources. (There’s also a 720p 19-inch model.) Another 42-incher, the TC-L42D30, features a flush glass design and the full quota of Panasonic’s Viera Connect IPTV capabilities. Some of the E30s are available now; the top-of-the-line 42-incher will land in April at a suggested price of $1149.95, while the 19-incher will land in May for $249.95.

Geoff Duncan
Former Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
LG Display confirms what Panasonic told us at CES — new four-layer OLED is here
The LG G5 OLED TV displayed in a suite at CES 2025.

It seems as though Panasonic forced LG Display's hand when it announced at CES 2025 the new panel technology at use in its new Z95B OLED TV -- a new four-layer OLED panel structure that increases brightness while improving efficiency at the same time. Today, LG Display has confirmed that it has developed this new tech, while providing more details than LG Electronics did last week when we met with them.

For context, the new G5 OLED LG debuted gets brighter than last year's model, but without the benefit of the MLA (Micro Lens Array) technology LG developed specifically to achieve the improved brightness it needed to compete with QD-OLED and micro-LED. At the time, LG was coy on the new technology that helped the G5 get demonstrably brighter than its predecessor, the G4 OLED TV ("We'll have more to talk about at the reviewer's workshop later this year," they told us), but we had strong suspicions it was a new four-layer OLED panel technology.

Read more
Panasonic’s Z95B has the secret OLED TV tech we were hunting for 
The Panasonic Z95B OLED TV.

After a long absence from the American market, beloved TV manufacturer Panasonic enters into its second year back in the U.S., announcing at CES 2025 today not one but three new TVs. In addition to a new mini-LED and a new lower-tier LED option, all eyes are on Panasonic's latest flagship OLED, the Z95B that features spatial audio sound and a new "next-generation" four-layer panel structure that improves color volume and brightness without the need for MLA (Micro Lens Array) technology.
Panasonic Z95B series OLED TV
At the end of last year, Panasonic made a triumphant return to the U.S. (after being absent for more than a decade) with the launch of two of the best TVs we've ever seen: the Z95A OLED and the W95A mini-LED that our TV experts called "one of the top 5 TVs ever made" and "its best QLED mini-LED," respectively. If the Panasonic Z95B Series OLED picks up where its predecessor left off, then nit nerds will be in for a treat this year. We saw a sample of it during the press conference at CES, and it is stunning.

With LG being sheepish with the details about its non-MLA (Micro Lens Array) OLED panels, Panasonic has shed some light on things, detailing the Z95B's "Primary RGB Tandem Panel and ThermalFlow Cooling System." The technology employs a four-layer emission structure with individual red, green, and (two) blue layers -- instead of the two blue with a red/green/yellow-green layer sandwiched between. It means it "refines the wavelength of light and increases color purity, thus enhancing light efficiency by 40 percent," a press release says. "This improvement enables a significant increase in brightness and a broader color volume, delivering even richer, more realistic imagery."

Read more
Panasonic TVs are back in the U.S., and the W95A is still on sale for Cyber Week
Panasonic W95A

I honestly wasn't sure that it would ever happen, but Panasonic finally returned to the U.S. television market this fall and I was -- perhaps excessively -- excited. Even though Panasonic TVs have been available in Europe for a while (and selling very well), it's been more than 10 years since they've graced this side of the pond after the company ended production of its plasma TV line. For us videophiles who loved those Panasonic plasmas of old, it's been long time coming, but the company is back with both the
Z95A OLED
and the W95A mini-LED. And they're already on sale during Cyber Week for up to 33% off.

Buy at Amazon

Read more