Panasonic Viera ET5S - Best Of Both Worlds

LG Display, Panasonic TV

Unlike Samsung's resolute pursuit of active-shutter 3D glasses technology, more 'neutral' TV makers like Panasonic have the luxury of embracing both passive and active 3D technologies if they choose to. Armed with a Full-HD display, the new Viera ET5S LCD TV series marks Panasonic's maiden entry into the land of polarized stereoscopic panels, a domain initially monopolized by LG and their Cinema 3D moniker. Not surprisingly, the mid-range ET5S also carries a polarized LCD panel sourced from the South Korean manufacturer themselves, including the four pairs of accompanying eyewear. Everything else, such as the display's single-core processor, are mostly Panasonic's implementation. Other players, like Philips for example  (mainly their 6000 series), have been dabbling with polarized screens for their 3D TVs as well. The passive ET5S will be available in 42, 47, and 55-inch sizes with 300Hz backlight scanning capabilities, while the active-shutter ET50 variant will sport a slightly speedier refresh rate of 800Hz. All models under the ET series are illuminated by edge LED backlights.

The ET5S ('S' for Singapore model) comes fitted with an IPS LCD panel; one which boasts of a wider viewing angle thanks to its backlights' wider transmission aperture. We also noted that the TV provides support for the Viera Remote app for smartphones, and you may download the app via Google Play or iTunes. Essentially, this application enables users to wield a mobile device as a remote control, plus it also boasts of an interesting tap-and-flick feature, something we've experienced during Panasonic's product showcase in April. Moving on, the ET5S offers real-time 2D to 3D conversion for video as well as static images, including photos and web content. As expected, Viera Connect (Panasonic's Smart TV platform) is featured on this display too, given that it's now a regular offering on mid to high-end Viera models. And apart from a HTML5-compatible web browser, the display is conveniently equipped with integrated Wi-Fi capabilities such that pesky external adapters aren't needed. Now, let's see if the ET5S can give the LG camp something to worry about, so read on for the full rundown of our findings.

Shades of Gray

Panasonic's ET5S is easy on the eye, although there's nothing really significant about its design either. The elegant display features a dark gray bezel with a transparent acrylic border, something similar to Samsung's Crystal Design when it was unveiled years ago. Panasonic's usage of edge LEDs also ensures the ET5S maintains a relatively slim profile with an average depth of 40mm, although it bulges up to 52mm at its thickest point. And as with most LED-based models, the screen is relatively glossy, but not overly reflective under the ambient lights. The silver-gray plastic base is equally nondescript, compared to more recent and flamboyant offerings like Samsung's Arc-Flow and LG's Ribbon stands found on their premium models. On the upside, Panasonic's pedestal stand offers a fair amount of stability to the 47-inch panel, plus it allows the screen to swivel as well. Interestingly, the TV's rather bulky built-in wireless adapter isn't integrated within the panel, but lies exposed behind the display (see image below). 

Ports are aligned either by the side or in a downward-facing orientation behind the panel. The downward ports consist of an RF antenna terminal, optical audio output, VGA inlet, plus component and composite inputs. Breakout cables are provided for both analog jacks since Panasonic uses a proprietary configuration. The side panel features a formidable array of digital slots, including three USB and four HDMI 1.4a ports. As with Panasonic's ongoing tradition for their Viera range, you'll find an SD Card slot on the ET5S, compliant up to the SDXC format with a maximum capacity of 64GB. If you're planning to use the bundled pedestal stand, note that eight screws are required to fasten the panel - four for the base, and another four for the panel.

The remote (model:N2QAYB) looks very much like last year's model with little changes made. It still brandishes the same conservative design. However, the concisely labelled buttons and grip-friendly size does redeem it somewhat. Controls for Viera Link are located below, while dedicated buttons for 3D mode and Viera Connect (labelled as 'Internet' on the remote) are available on the wand as well.

Viera Connect

Unfortunately, the ET5S was unable to reach Panasonic's server via our office network with a returned error code of 005. We've tried both wired and wireless connections to no avail. Manually updating the firmware via an SD Card to version 2219 didn't help either. According to Panasonic's tech support personnel, the issue probably lies with our network settings. However, we find it odd that the TV's network tests didn't produce an error when tried on both LAN and WLAN. Anyhow, we understand from the Japanese firm that little changes have been made to 2012's edition of Viera Connect, so there's little loss in this aspect. You may check out our reviews on previous Panasonic sets like the VT30S if you'd like to read up more on the Viera Connect platform.

Viera Remote

Panasonic's Viera Remote app failed to detect the ET5S during our first few attempts, but it worked the next day for some reason. This touch-and-go characteristic can be annoyance if it surfaces time and again. Anyhow, there are a few basic attributes found on the app, such as the volume and channel controls which will come in handy should you lose the primary remote. Conversely, other features such as Cursor, Keyboard, Gamepad, as well as the 'tap-and-flick' option for media files are undoubtedly helpful, especially for users managing Smart TV attributes on the ET5S. Although most of its functions delivered as promised, Panasonic's DLNA-based Viera Remote is still very much dependent on your home wireless network, as compared to more convenient peer-to-peer transfer protocols such as Wi-Fi Direct available on rival TV sets. As an added note, ensure you've enabled the TV's DLNA and Network Remote features before attempting to use the app on your smartphone or tablet. Viera Remote is available on Google Play and iTunes.

Picture Settings

The ET5 carries fewer picture presets, compared to Panasonic's THX-certified displays with professional ISFccc calibration adjustments. Basic options such as Dynamic, Normal, Cinema, True Cinema, and Game selections are available under Viewing Mode. As usual, the Dynamic preset offers exaggerated contrast and sharpness values for brightly-lit rooms, while the Normal mode is more ideal for viewing environments with softer ambient lighting. Unlike the Cinema mode tuned for darkened rooms, True Cinema aims to replicate the source's original picture quality with minimal adjustments, besides applying 24p compensation for film-based Blu-ray sources. Film Cadence Detection is also available with interlaced sources, except when used with the Game picture preset. This TV has a maximum refresh rate of 300Hz with backlight scanning enabled to eradicate motion blur. It can be triggered by setting Motion Picture Pro to 'Max'. Also note that advanced options like White Balance and Gamma need to be enabled via the Setup menu before they appear under the Advanced Settings - a bit of a trouble, but it's a one-time setup option if you need to tweak image quality settings to your heart's content.

Calibration - Spyder3TV Report

To maintain a standard across our review units, we calibrated the Panasonic ET5S with Datacolor's Spyder3TV Home Theater Color Calibration kit prior to our visual tests. This is to ensure we assess the HDTV based on optimal display settings, and not on visual estimation alone. Using the TV's Normal preset, we've also disabled all the necessary enhancement features. Here are the recommended calibrated picture settings - Brightness: 0, Contrast: 50, Color: 93, and Tint: -3. Backlight levels are clamped at 70 (and also the default value) throughout the process. Black and white luminance were recorded at 0.079cd/m2 and 136.236 cd/m2 respectively; indicating plump black figures since a lower value is preferred. However, preliminary results from Spyder3TV also dictate a rather weak white luminance rating, compared to say, another edge-lit model like the Samsung ES8000 with a value of 371.828cd/m2. In essence. we hope Panasonic's relatively low contrast values wouldn't result in an adverse loss of details within the darker areas when we subject the ET5S to the real-world tests. 

DisplayMate Tests

DisplayMate is an application which generates a sequence of test patterns to determine the capabilities of imaging devices, like color, uniformity, and gray-scale accuracies for example. For our tests, we've hooked up the Viera ET5S to our display test-bed system via a HDMI connection. Similar to our calibration setup, we have also disabled all visual enhancements on the TV to reduce the variables involved. Here are some of our findings.

IDT HQV Tests

IDT's HQV Tests (on Blu-ray) are designed to assess image quality and handling of digital displays through a variety of video signal processing tasks which includes decoding, de-interlacing, motion correction, noise reduction, and film cadence detection. We've programmed the Blu-ray player to playback in 1080i to test the TV's de-interlacing capabilities. Here are the results we noted on some of the more crucial HQV tests:-

Standard Definition Test
 

X-Men: The Last Stand (DVD)

This Viera has the tenacity to flesh out finer picture details from an SD source on its native 1080p screen with convincing quality. At a viewing distance of 2 meters, it is even possible to pass off this movie as a HD clip with a less discerning eye. There’s also a sweet balance of blacks and picture detail, which is rather commendable for a mid-range LCD set. Most notably, there’s an absence of aliasing artifacts, which less capable displays might succumb to. Now, for the bad bits. We can’t ignore the strong bluish hues which seem to permeate the mutants. Move slightly closer, and you might spot the unfiltered noise grains around the film’s subjects. There’s also an annoying ‘shimmer’ which occurs with camera pans. This can be alleviated by enabling Motion Picture Pro, but conversely, the overly smooth production is a little too slick for our taste. Last but not least, we also noted that the TV’s Film Cadence Detection option isn’t available with the X-Men DVD title, probably due to the fact that we’ve set the player’s output to 576i instead of 1080p.

High-Definition Test
 

Vantage Point (Blu-ray)

Vantage Point was recorded in a CinemaScope format. When played back on a 16:9-based set, like the ET5S, the letterbox bars are also indicative of the display’s black-level retentive qualities.To be fair, it wasn’t the same inky tones we’ve encountered on Panasonic’s VT30S, but it was definitely a mark above the average LCD TV fitted with edge-lit backlights. As noted on DisplayMate earlier, there’s noticeable (but slight) light leakage at the corners which could compromise picture fidelity, but other than that, backlight illumination was evenly spread throughout the screen. Details were crisp, and motion handling was quite impeccable with this BD title. As observed during our DVD test, there’s also a healthy balance of details and blacks. However, the display suffers from minor black crush issues with darker hues, like dark-colored fabrics for example, although it wasn't a major flaw to shout about. Colors are a little off, despite one round of basic calibration with the Spyder. If your eyes are comfortable with a warmer color tone, try switching to the True Cinema preset to enjoy a more natural presentation. Unlike our findings on HQV, where the TV had trouble processing a 24p source from a 60i clip, we’re glad to report that Panasonic’s Film Cadence Detection worked flawlessly with this native 24p Blu-ray content.

3D High-Definition Test

Panasonic TY-EP3D10 Passive Glasses



Let’s start with Panasonic's passive 3D eyewear, which we already know originated from the ranks of LG Display. Although the stylish pair of glasses is a polarized variety, it does bear a similar trait with Samsung’s latest SSG-4100GB active-shutter model upon closer inspection, in that they are both designed to be worn over prescription glasses if necessary. Panasonic’s passive model, the TY-EP3D10, is of course, significantly lighter than its active-shutter rival since it doesn’t require any form of electronic circuitry or batteries. Ironically, Panasonic's model also looks and feels a tad classier than LG's AG-F310 alternative, bundled with their Cinema 3D sets. When tried, Panasonic's wrap-around design ensures a snug and comfortable fit for most adults' head sizes. They do, however, feel a little flimsy, and it’s best to keep them away from curious children if you can. Panasonic is bundling four pairs of these glasses with the Viera ET5S.

Monsters vs Aliens (3D Blu-ray)

Stereoscopic images were delightfully crisp, and as expected with passive 3D screens, there wasn’t a hint of crosstalk throughout the movie. Although the Viera's 3D depth isn’t as punchy compared to some active-shutter models, like the Sony Bravia HX855 for example, the flicker-free pictures and comfortable viewing experience more than makes up for this little visual niggle. Interestingly, the ET5S’ 3D depth did appear to be a notch 'deeper' than LG’s flagship LM9600 itself, if we had to draw a comparison and pray that it wasn't a placebo effect. There were moments when we detected hints of motion judder, although they were rare instances, and only apparent when the camera pans. There’s no sign of Motion Picture Pro in 3D Mode as well, but we reckon it’s probably already running at 300Hz with a 3D source. Panasonic has thrown in a few treats, such as 3D Depth Adjustment and Edge Smoother, but they are largely unnecessary since they don’t effect much of a change in the stereoscopic quality in our opinion. We must, however, highlight that LG's FPR (Film Patterned Retarder) quirks such as the presence of interlaced "scan lines" when the viewing distance is reduced, is also present with Panasonic's set.

The Final Word

Panasonic has crafted a rather fine specimen despite the ET5S being the Japanese company's first stab at a passive 3D set. It's not the best looking television by far, but its elegant silver-gray looks is stylish enough to grace most modern decor without causing embarrassment. The 47-inch ET5S also boasts of an impressive arsenal of AV ports to please both novices and enthusiasts, topped off with a wall-mount friendly orientation on the back panel. As for its Smart TV's efforts, Panasonic's Smart Viera platform is very much like last year's offerings, which means the company still has some work to do before they can entice consumers with a more appealing spread and interactive applications like their Korean rivals. The Viera Remote feature is helpful (when it works), keeping in mind that Panasonic isn't bundling the ET5S with a secondary remote for its Viera Connect applications.

Picture quality-wise, we have few complaints against the Viera. True that the screen is susceptible to a few shortfalls, such as minor backlight bleeds around the corners and a sub-accurate color profile under the Normal preset. But to give Panasonic due credit, the IPS panel has an even backlight illumination compared to the majority of "splotchy" LED models we've encountered with rival brands. The TV also yielded a considerable amount of detail from a standard-definition source, while its HD performance was a cut above average where detailing and motion processing qualities are concerned. As for its 3D capabilities, we'd say the ET5S is comparable, if not better, than LG's average Cinema 3D sets although both brands suffer from the same minor visual quirks as highlighted on the former page. Priced at S$2,499, the Viera ET5S is slightly more expensive than most mid-range 3D displays, like the Sony 46-inch Bravia EX720 (S$2,299) for instance. However, the ET5S is nonetheless a satisfactory effort on Panasonic's part with credit to its display's overall visual performance.

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