Panasonic has released all the details on the new 2013 TVs, including plasma and LED/LCD. FlatpanelsHD provides a full overview of the new TV line-up that focuses on picture quality, design and Smart TV functionality. The new plasma line-up has exciting new ZT60, VT60, and ST60 series, and the LED line-up includes new WT60 and DT60 series. We have included both US and European model.
Update: The answers to your questions have now been included in the last section of the article
Update 2: We have inclued the comparison tables for the new LED and plasma ranges. See the section "Overview".
Update 3: Pricing details for the 2013 LED models have been added.
Update 4: Pricing details for the 2013 plasma TVs have been added.Panasonic’s 2013 TV line-up
Panasonic’s 2013 TVs will arrive from February and onwards. In 2013, Panasonic will release new plasma TVs as well as new LED models up to 55 inch sizes. Panasonic’s venture into the LCD market started last year and it seems to have been succesfull so far with even more LED models coming out in 2013.
Panasonic ZT60
Picture quality is essential to Panasonic and with the plasma line-up they continue to push forward. Not only will Panasonic release a new VT60 series but also add a high-end ZT60 TV on top of that. The ZT series has been abandoned for some years now but will make its comeback in 2013 with a ”Studio Master” panel that comes pre-calibrated.
A camera on top for Skype calling and other things
Panasonic has also focused on design. Back in the days plasma TVs were big and bulky but that is not true today. Panasonic’s ZT60 and VT60 are very thin and the bezel has been reduced compared to earlier plasma TVs form Panasonic. The TVs not only look elegant, Panasonic has also aimed to use more exclusive materials. In the mid-end range Panasonic releases the ST60 that is the follow-up to last years ST50. The goal is to offer a value-for-money TV with the most essential TV features.
Panasonic’s LED model are extremely thin.
When it comes to LEDs, Panasonic continues in the same lane. WT60 is the new flagship model and DT60 is a step down but still a very capable TV. Both TVs are extremely thin the bezel has been reduced to almost nothing but Panasonic has still made room for all its newest features. The LED models are based on IPS panels, a new Hexa processor and also offer 3D technology.
One common feature for most of the new mid-end to high-end TVs is Smart TV. Panasonic believes that Smart TV is here to stay but seem to have acknowledged that users are seeking a more user-friendly experience. Therefore Panasonic has developed the new “My Home Screen”. From here you can access TV apps, internet services, recordings and much more. Panasonic says that the new Smart TVs also support HTML5 apps which basically means web apps that work across different Smart TV platforms.
Panasonic’s WT60 comes with a transparent, almost floating base
Europeans will also see an exciting new feature introduced in the ZT60, VT60, WT60 and DT60 series. A new twin tuner allows users to record two TV shows simultaneously or watch one show on the TV and stream another to an iOS or Android smartphone or tablet.
Voice control has also been added to the most expensive models. The voice system currently supports 18 languages and will allow you to say for example “channel up/down” or input text into search fields. It requires either a smartphone or Panasonic’s touch pad remote. Lastly, Panasonic draws attention to the “Swipe and Share 2.0” feature that allows you to push pictures, video and music from an iOS or Android smartphone/tablet into the TV screen – or the other way around with for example recordings or content on an USB HDD connected to the TV.
Panasonic ZT60 plasma
ZT60 is the new high-end flagship plasma TV. It uses technology from Panasonic’s pro panels, including a studio panel that has been pre-calibrated.
Panasonic ZT60
One-sheet-of-glass design
Studio Master panel
Ultimate Black panel
Hexa processor
3000 Hz FFD
Active 3D
Twin tuner (in Europe)
THX 2D and THX 3D
Smart Viera
Swipe and Share 2.0
Voice control
Built-in camera
US pricing
60” Panasonic TC-P60ZT60
65” Panasonic TC-P65ZT60
EU pricing
60” Panasonic TX-P60ZT65B
Panasonic VT60 plasma
Panasonic VT60 replaces last year’s VT50 and is still a high-end model for discerning buyers. It offers many of the same features of the ZT60 but not the studio grade panel. It still comes with THX certification for 2D and 3D.
Panasonic VT60
One-sheet-of-glass design
Infinite Black Ultra panel
Hexa processor
3000 Hz FFD
Active 3D
Twin tuner (in Europe)
THX 2D and THX 3D
Smart Viera
Swipe and Share 2.0
Voice control
Built-in camera
US prices
55” Panasonic TC-P55VT60
65” Panasonic TC-P60VT60
65” Panasonic TC-P65VT60
EU prices
50” Panasonic TX-P55VT65
55” Panasonic TX-P55VT65
65” Panasonic TX-P65VT65
Panasonic GT60 plasma
Panasonic GT60 is a European model. It has no twin tuner but still the Infinite Black Ultra panel and the THX models.
Panasonic GT60
Hexa processor
3000 Hz FFD
Active 3D
THX 2D and THX 3D
Smart Viera
Swipe and Share 2.0
USA: Not available in USA.
EU prices
42” Panasonic TX-P42GT60
50” Panasonic TX-P50GT60
Panasonic ST60 plasma
ST60 replaces last year’s ST50 and is Panasonic’s ultimate value-for-money TV. It offers the most essential TV features, which also covers 3D and Smart TV, according to Panasonic.
Panasonic ST60
Infinite Black Pro-panel
2500 Hz FFD
Active 3D
Smart Viera
Swipe and Share 2.0
USA prices
50” Panasonic TC-P50ST60
55” Panasonic TC-P55ST60
60” Panasonic TC-P60ST60
65” Panasonic TC-P65ST6
EU prices
42” Panasonic TX-P42ST60
50” Panasonic TX-P50ST60
55” Panasonic TX-P55ST60
Panasonic S60 plasma
S60 is a US-only model.
Full HD panel
Media player
USA prices
42” Panasonic TC-P42S60
50” Panasonic TC-P50S60
55” Panasonic TC-P55S60
60” Panasonic TC-P60S60
65” Panasonic TC-P65S60
Europe: Not available in Europe.
Panasonic X60 plasma
Lastly we have the X60 series; a cheap model without 3D and Smart TV.
HD Ready panel
Media player
USA: Panasonic X60 will be available in 42 and 50 inches called TC-P42X60 and TC-P50X60.
EU prices
42” Panasonic TX-P42X60
50” Panasonic TX-P50X60
Panasonic WT60 LED
WT60 is the flagship LED model with a new IPS panel and Panasonic’s new Hexa picture engine.
Panasonic WT60
Ultraslim design
IPS panel with 3600 Hz BLS
Hexa processor
Clear Panel Pro
3D
Twin tuner (in Europe)
Smart Viera
Swipe and Share 2.0
Voice control
Built-in camera
US prices
47” Panasonic TC-L47WT60
55” Panasonic TC-L55WT60
EU prices
47” Panasonic TX-L47WT65B
55” Panasonic TX-L55WT65B
Panasonic DT60 LED
DT60 is the step down from WT60 but still a very capable TV with 3D and Smart TV. It will also be available in larger formats.
Panasonic DT60
Ultraslim design
IPS panel with 1600 Hz BLS
Hexa processor
Clear Panel Pro
3D
Twin tuner (in Europe)
Smart Viera
Swipe and Share 2.0
Voice control
US prices
55” Panasonic TC-L55DT60
60” Panasonic TC-L60DT60
EU prices
42” Panasonic TX-L42DT65B
47” Panasonic TX-L47DT65B
50” Panasonic TX-L50DT65B
55” Panasonic TX-L55DT65B
60” Panasonic TX-L60DT65B
Panasonic FT60 LED
FT60 will only be available in Europe. It has many of the same features as the DT60 except the twin tuner.
Panasonic FT60
IPS panel with 1600 Hz BLS
Hexa processor
Clear Panel Pro
3D
Smart Viera
Swipe and Share 2.0
EU prices
42” Panasonic TX-L42FT60
47” Panasonic TX-L47FT60
USA: Not available in USA.
Panasonic ET60 LED
ET60 is a mid-range LED model with the most essential TV features, including 3D and Smart TV.
Panasonic ET60
IPS panel with 600 Hz BLS
3D
Smart Viera
Swipe and Share 2.0
USA: Panasonic ET60 will be available in 50 and 55 inches called TC-L50ET60 and TC-L55ET60.
EU prices
42” Panasonic TX-L42ET60
47” Panasonic TX-L47ET60
50” Panasonic TX-L50ET60
55” Panasonic TX-L55ET60
Panasonic E60 LED
The E60 series has no 3D but still the Smart TV features.
Panasonic E60
IPS panel with 100 Hz BLB
Smart Viera
Swipe and Share 2.0
USA: Panasonic E60 will be available in 42, 50, 58 and 65 inches called TC-L42E60, TC-L50E60, TC-L58E60, and TC-L65E60.
EU prices
32” Panasonic TX-L32E6
39” Panasonic TX-L39E6
42” Panasonic TX-L42E6
50” Panasonic TX-L50E6
Panasonic EM60 LED
The EM60 comes without Smart TV.
IPS panel with 100 Hz BLB
Media player
USA: Panasonic EM60 will be available in 39 and 50 inches called TC-L39EM60 and TC-L50EM60.
Europe: Panasonic EM6 will be available in 32, 39 and 50 inches called TX-L32EM6, TX-L39EM6 and TX-L50EM6.
Overview
Questions
Jonny
-which LED tv does have what kind of led backlight system, led based on the backsight of the tv(and how many leds are used?) or leds built-in the frame of the tv?
-which led tv does have local dimming?
All are edge led. Some have "local dimming" but with very limited zones. It is not comparable to real backlit local dimming TVs.
Leoš Božák
Hello, can I expekt DVB-T2 tuners in your TVs at last ?
Thank you.
Leos, Czech Republic
(DVB-T2 parameter-guide for manufacturers is posted since spring 2012 in my country)
We were unable to confirm this for Czezh Republic but Panasonic TVa in some regions have had DVB-T2 for a few years now. It has to be approved for each country so we need Panasonic Czech for more clarification.
Max
Panasonic Plasmas have been the choice for gamers for some time due to their low input latency, is that a focus for them going forward?
There are LCD monitors that do a much better job, is it feasible that a gaming mode in a Panasonic TV could get to zero latency in terms of pure picture processing?
There have been rumours of Panasonic dropping further plasma development, is that true?
Has all the technology from Pioneer been utilized in Panasonic plasmas yet?
Thanks for the opportunity Rasmus
Input latency is a focus area for Panasonic and the plasma TVs have very low input lag. Panasonic has also addressed it on the LED models through the game mode but there are some issues for the LCD driving methods that make it difficult to eliminate input lag. No hopes of zero-lag gaming modes for this year’s TVs.
Panasonic is still committed to plasma development and technology but they also evaluate new technologies for the future, including OLED. OLED has still has some issues in production and life time that needs to be resolved before Panasonic will consider it a viable alternative.
Also see the answer on power consumption and plasma further down.
It is true that Panasonic has acquired some of Pioneer’s assets but Panasonic continue to develop its own panels and driving methods. The technology inside the plasma TVs is mostly based on Panasonic’s own research. No plans to make a “Pioneer clone“ as it had issues with for example power consumption. Pioneer’s Kuro panels would not be able to reproduce 3D either.
vigp17
Why are there still TV's in your line up with only 2 HDMI's? It's 2013, most every device has HDMI we need more than 2 even 3 is barely enough!
Only very few people use more than 2 HDMIs, according to Panasonic, so it is a cost-benefit choice. As Panasonic has integrated more capable tuners in most markets and a range of internet service are integrated, Panasonic believes that most users can do without for example tuner boxes and internet streaming boxes.
bpawlak
Pricing in EU?
No prices for EU announced yet. We will receive pricing details later.
donniedarko
What about image retention? Will the ZT60's studio master will be better in image retention? I have a 55VT50 and it has a significant retention problem!
Panasonic says that they continue to work on improving the panels but had no further comments.
We will naturally look much further into this in our review.
Micha
Is the st60 much better than the gt50?
We will have to wait with conclusions until we receive review samples.
markiedee
Is having three hdmis the the new trend for panasonic and is it something that they plan on continuing on the there future tvs???
Only very few people use more than 2 HDMIs, according to Panasonic, so it is a cost-benefit choice. As Panasonic has integrated more capable tuners in most markets and a range of internet service are integrated, Panasonic believes that most users can do without for example tuner boxes and internet streaming boxes.
No words on the future.
Gil
Please ask why Panasonic doesn't make their flagship LED TV in the 65 inch size. I would love to buy an LED from them, but want something bigger than 55 inches in the top model.
Panasonic still believes that plasma is the superior choice for home cinema enthusiasts so they want to offer plasma at the high end of their line-up. They say that a 65-inch LED version would be quite expensive so they believe a 65-inch plasma TV offers more value for money.
Wim Belgium
is it possible to give the dimensions of all the new series plasma en led tv's?
We are chasing more information.
Issuj
Which models have fans?
Panasonic was not able to confirm which ones. We are chasing more information.
Stacy K
I am looking at the 50" ET60 for an affordable passive 3d gaming set. Motion with (BLS) was not an issue for any of the 2012 models I had a chance to try, but contrast, black level quality and uniformity were not great. Will uniformity and black levels be improved for the non-flagship Panasonic LED TV's? Local edge dimming has only been announced on the WT60 I believe? Will be available on any other models ET60 included?
None of Panasonic’s 2013 LED models have real local dimming as all of them have edge LED backlights. The rest we will have to answer in the coming reviews.
ang3l
flagship led tv still have the panasonic ips alpha pannel?
because the presence of the passive 3d makes me think of the panels manufactured by LG
All the LED models come with IPS panels with passive 3D but Panasonic is not marketing the Alpha name this year. Panasonic didn’t want to tell who supplies the LCD panels
Noodles73
Will the ISF modes have again brightness restriction and higher MLL according to US models?
Panasonic was not able to answer that question at this point.
Deo
What about buzzing noise? Is it still present in plasma models? I hope that they will fix this big issue.
Panasonic says that they are working on reducing buzzing but it is not easy. We tried to listen to the different TVs in Nice but the noisy conference halls made it hard to really conclude anything.
We will elaborate on this in the coming review.
Indy65
Would like to know the dimensions of the stand for the VT60 & ZT60 65 inch
We are chasing the exact dimensions.
Pepe Maldonado Diaz
The VT60 will have the red phosphor as the ZT60 and this last one ( I'm talking about the flagship of Panasonic ) will be bought in latin-america or only in The USA, Europe and Japan ?. Well, I've just read the specifications of the VT60 and I noticed that It'll comes whith THX , so I'd ask Panasonic : What is the hexa proccesor and If It'll improve the picture quality or not .
VT60 uses the same phosphor structure as ZT60, yes. VT60 will be available in USA and Europe. The European Panasonic group was not aware if it will be available in Latin America.
The Hexa processor combines six – hence the name – processor that are responsible for everything, including picture quality and the Smart TV features.
Gunnar Abrahamsson
Panasonic zt60 65 inch complete specifications and dimensions thanks!
Only the 60” version was on display in Nice. We are chasing more information.
Rupert
Will Plasma still be the technology of choice for Panasonic until OLED is mainstream?
Panasonic is still committed to plasma technology, they say. OLED is a clear candidate for the future but Panasonic does not wish to comment on the plans for the future right now.
The main concern for plasma going forward is the strict energy requirements enforced by governments, Panasonic adds.
aki
will the zt60 have a brighter picture
Panasonic says that ZT60 has a higher peak brightness level. We saw it in action and it does appear brighter but nowhere near the brightness level from LED models.
craq
Panasonic itself developed Smart Viera platform for several years with a promise to extend its functionality. Now it announces change of the hardware/software platform.
How is the new Smart Viera platform promising, given the new alliance consists of minor "Smart TV" players like Philips (who quit producing TVs two years ago), Toshiba, IBM (who has no apparent connection with entertainment market except ripping money for it's consulting and development services) and others? What advantages (if any) will it provide over current Smart TV offerings from Sony and Samsung?
The software platform remains unchanged but is being updated from year to year. Panasonic’s recent announcement that it has entered into the Smart TV alliance will add support for html5 apps in the new 2013 TVs but besides that the platform is still Panasonic’s own. For 2013 a new My Home screen has been added, together with voice controlling and other features. The new Hexa processor also powers the Smart TV features.
We will have more information in the coming reviews.
tomek
Hi, just want to ask if 50inch ZT series will be in EU market this year.
Cheers
No, ZT60 will only be available in a 60” version in Europe.
basti
When did the 65zt60 arrive in germany and which price we can exspect?
Will only come in 60" in Europe. Will arrive in April. No price yet.
drSeehas
Will the 50 Hz bug finally be fixed?
Panasonic did not comment on this.
Panasonic's 2013 TV line-up - full overview ">
