Panasonic 3D TV CES 2011

Editors Choice Award for Best 3D Display CES 2011

Phil Conner, senior editor

Panasonic also had an impressive selection of 3D content for display and generally it looked much better than most of the competition. There were categories displays set up with stationary active shutter glasses for sports, gaming, and entertainment and we reviewed them all.

The sports category reviewed the TC-P46GT25 series plasma 3D TVs. Professional womens volleyball looked especially colorful and with excellent depth. The picture was good enough and without the flickering side effects to actually make you want a 3D TV. I was very impressed with this 3D imagery. The only issue was very fast moving images in the foreground which distorts the picture, a problem I have found with almost all 3D TVs. Next we reviewed the ST30 Plasma 3D TV series with Gaming and the verdict was the same, very little flicker or blur and good images. Next we reviewed the entertainment series which had some swimsuit content and Blue Man Group among others. This was viewable on the new DT30 series LED TV. Immediately I noticed the difference – more noticeable flickering but certainly more judder and jerky movement – an LED TVs downfall. Colors were very good and still images looked great. Plasma is just in many ways a better conduit for 3D TV programming due to 1) 600Hz sub field drive – faster processing through phosphor based pixel cells, and 2) possibly more natural processing between the requirements of 3D and individual pixel cells each containing its own light in plasma technology. With LED backlit LCD TVs the twisting crystals to enable the light and color flow seems to cause the judder and side effects with 3D.

As with the Sony display, the Panasonic display also had stationary glasses, so we cannot be absolutely sure how the glasses will perform when actually on the face, ala unwelcome light flicker.