Panasonic Viera TX-L37E3B review

With its 2011 TVs, the bulk of the LCD line uses Panasonic’s new IPS-Alpha panel. We’ve seen this to great effect on the 2D Viera TX-L32E30B and 3D Viera TX-L32DT30B, but this time we’re seeing what it can do in the budget 2D 37in TX-L37E30B. This range is also available in 24in (TX-L24E3B), 32in (TX-L32E3B) and 42in (TX-L42E3B) screen sizes. We wouldn’t expect to see any major quality differences between the differing sizes.

Essentially, the 37in TX-L37E3B is a cut-down version of the TX-L37E30B. Both TVs use the same IPS-Alpha panel, but while the E30B TVs have a 200Hz backlight scanning refresh rate, the E30B has a standard 50Hz panel. There are some other subtle differences, such as no support for internet or LAN content. The E30B also loses one HDMI port, although the three it has should be enough for most people. One HDMI input has an Audio Return Channel (ARC), so you can send sound from the TV back to a compatible amplifier.

In terms of looks the E3B series is very similar to the E30B. It’s far from ugly, but it’s not as attractive as some of the TVs that Sony or Samsung make. It’s fair to say that the E3B’s looks are more utilitarian rather than stylish.

In terms of pure image quality in still frames there’s little to tell the difference between the E3B and E30B. Panasonic’s new IPS-Alpha panel is excellent, delivering deep blacks and brilliant vibrant colours. Watching the start of Casino Royale, we could configure the screen to produce a detailed image with a good balance between the light and dark parts of the black and white scene, and plenty of detail in the picture. Comparing the screen side-by-side to a plasma, the black level was noticeably worse on the E3B, but impressive for an LCD set.