Panasonic Smart VIERA LED TV TX-L32E6B review

Picture quality was a different matter, especially when watching high definition video. Standard definition Freeview channels upscaled well, despite a small amount of block noise, but Freeview HD looked crisp and free of noise. Blu-ray video looked fantastic given the price of the set, with very accurate colour reproduction when using the True Cinema preset. Because the TX-L32E6B uses an MVA panel, rather than the IPS panels found in Panasonic’s 3D-enabled sets, it has phenomenal black levels for an LCD TV, although there was still a bit of somewhat inevitable backlight bleed around the edges in our dark scene tests.

We weren’t expecting a comprehensive set of image controls, but the TX-L32E6B surprised us. In addition to five viewing modes (Dynamic, Normal, Cinema, True Cinema and Custom), It also has controls for brightness, contrast, colour, tint, sharpness and backlight intensity. Two different noise reduction modes are available for broadcast TV, but we would suggest turning them off for Blu-ray or games.

The E6B’s MVA panel theoretically provides better black levels than supposedly-superior IPS panels

Colour control is even more in-depth, with five colour temperature modes, Gamma control, a vivid colour option, individual white balance controls for the RGB channels and complete RGB hue, saturation and luminance control. The good news is you can get impressive results without getting too involved in the fine tuning of your TV.

Thanks to the thought that obviously went into redesigning Panasonic’s dated smart TV interface, we were bowled over by the TX-L32E6B. It shows real improvement, integrating Smart features into the TV rather than hiding them away in a separate menu. Picture quality is great for the price, and the set looks great too.

If you want a second TV for a bedroom or home office, then this 32in model is great choice if you want all the latest features, although you can find TV’s at this size for far less. In bigger sizes, it looks to be a strong contender for the living room too, though at present prices on 2013 TVs are too high compared to last year’s outgoing range to recommend it without reservation.