Most of Panasonic's HDTV lineup are plasmas. The company does not produce many LCD models. In fact, currently, the TC-37LZ85 is only one of two 37" Panasonic VIERA LCDs. The other is the more expensive TC-37LZ800.
But don't think of the TC-37LZ85 as the poor cousin because it includes all the features and performance that you would expect from the 2008 class of 37" 1080p LCD HDTVs.
(Editor's Note: We have been trying to rope this Panasonic into our roundup of 37" LCD HDTVs from different manufacturers. Even though it came in late, we still believe that it belongs in the herd. We have reviewed seven others individually. This Panasonic VIERA is the eighth and final one in the corral.
You can read the other reviews here: LG 37LG50, Samsung LN37A550, Toshiba REGZA 37RV530U, and VIZIO VO37L, AOC Envision L37W861, Sony BRAVIA 37XBR6 and Sharp AQUOS LC-37D64U.)
Performance: 4.5
I found that once I tuned the TC-37LZ85, I was comfortable enough with its consistently excellent video performance that I could sit back, relax and enjoy the show. Like almost all the other 37" LCDs in the roundup, the audio, though decent, did not match the video quality.Features: 4.5 With three
HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio, and interactive controls on a single cable. It transmits all ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committe) HDTV standards and supports 8-channel digital audio. First product releases using HDMI occurred in 2003." class=gloss>HDMI inputs and an SD card reader for playing back photos, about the only major feature missing is picture-in-picture. The connection panel does not provide a VGA input and the picture control tool set will not satisfy the tweakers. If any of these are important, then start subtracting half points. Ease of Use: 4.5 With the default Picture Mode settings supplying a good starting point, setup for most people will be a matter of making a handful of minor adjustments. And if you have questions, Panasonic's Concierge Service is free. Value: 4.5 I have seen the street price of the VIERA TC-37LZ85 below $1000. Considering its picture quality and attractive features, this 37" 1080p LCD becomes a value contender.Ratings are relative to when the review was written. The obvious example is Value, what you could purchase for $2000 two years ago or even two months ago would seem like a bad value for that price now. We have given only a precious few 5 Star ratings, which we reserve for truly outstanding accomplishment.
The thick 2" high gloss piano black bezel is so retro - harkening back to late 2007 - that the front of the VIERA TC-37LZ85 looks fresh and fulsome next to the wispy and willowy narrow frames that are in vogue.
To observe the most distinguishing feature on the face of this TV, you need to step up close and look down from above. The speaker enclosure subtly sweeps out in an arc between the non-glare IPS screen and the non-swivel stand. The curvature is punctuated by its silvery mirrored surface.
This almost 49 pound TV (with stand) is one of the heaviest 37" LCDs that we have reviewed. Though at three feet wide, it still is manageable for one able body.
Next to the pad of operational buttons on the back right edge is the side connection panel, which provides an HDMI input, a Composite input with matching stereo Audio Ins and a headphone minijack.
Literally inches away on the back and facing out, the larger panel furnishes two more HDMI inputs, two Component inputs (YPbPr) with matching stereo Audio Ins, one S-Video, and one Composite input.
Also on the rear panel are a digital Audio Out (optical), a stereo analog Audio Out, and an RF connector that links to integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM tuners. Since the tuner system is Clear QAM compatible, you can attach your cable TV signal directly into the RF connector and tune in unscrambled cable stations.
For those concerned about the DTV transition coming up, the ATSC tuner is the key. With the proper antenna, you will be able to tune in digital signals broadcast over the air.
Conspicuous by its absence is a VGA (15 pin D-Sub) used to connect your PC to your TV and have it substitute as a computer monitor. If you have that in mind for the TC-37LZ85, then your computer's video card will need an HDMI or It can also carry an analog signal and comes as DVI-I (integrated - analog and digital), DVI-D (digital only) and DVI-A (analog only). Dual link DVI connections add additional resolution capabilities. Digital cable lengths should not exceed 15 feet. Specifications on DVI are available at www.ddwg.org. Click for more details on DVI." class=gloss>DVI out that you can link to one of the TV's HDMI ins.
The VIERA, like all the other 37" TVs in the roundup, does not provide an Ethernet port to connect to your home computer network or the Internet. Nor does it have a picture-in-picture capability.
More importantly for photographers, behind a swinging door on the right side of this HDTV is an SD card reader, which allows you to upload JPEG photos from SD cards.
If your digital still camera uses compact flash cards, it is a bit of a nuisance to transfer your photos to an SD card, but seeing your images in full HD is worth the trouble.
The Photo Viewer software gives you a choice of display times, 1 - 10 seconds, 15, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 and manual. But the only transition between slides is a quick Wipe down.
The non-backlit remote control is ungainly but functional, with big square buttons. As always, I would have preferred separate input buttons for the video sources.
Our process of measuring the power consumption of our review units is straightforward. We plug the TV into a watt meter, called Watts up? Pro, and take a simple sampling of readings during the playback of a full screen video clip.
The first measurement is at the TV's default picture setting, which is often some form of Vivid. This TC-37LZ85 review unit arrived at my door with the Picture Mode already set to Custom, though I assume this is not the normal new-out-of-the-box default setting.
Whatever it might be, I still decided to take a reading at the TV's Vivid setting. The meter ranged from about 181 to 187W. Panasonic's manual states maximum power consumption at 222W.
At the Standard default, the reading dropped to 151 to 153 watts. If you pick the Cinema default, power drops dramatically to 95W.
We also take a reading after we adjust the picture to our preference, which is a much less bright image than Vivid. The power consumption lowered to 114 to 117W. Of course, depending on how you like to set up your TV, your mileage may vary.
Finally, we turn off the TV and measure how much power it is using. With the TC-37LZ85, the meter sank to 0. Panasonic states the Standby consumption as less than .2W.
The start up time from Standby was a reasonable 7 to 8 seconds.
To calibrate the monitor, we use the the Blu-ray version of the Digital Video Essentials DVD called HD Basics. We are playing the DVD on a Pioneer BDP-94HD Blu-ray player connected to the HDTV with an HDMI cable.
We use the test patterns to adjust black level, white level, and color bias. The player is set to output a 1080p signal, which is the Maximum Resolution.' class=gloss>native resolution of the TC-37LZ85.
The Picture menu provides the basic adjustments, Picture (Contrast), Brightness, Color (Saturation), Tint (Hue), Sharpness, and Backlight.
Panasonic offers five Picture Modes: Vivid, Standard, Cinema, Game and Custom.
I chose Custom, then moved to the Color Temperature settings, which range from Cool (the bluish end) to Warm (the reddish). I opted for Normal. Next, I turned down the Backlight to fit my dim, light-controlled room.
The two minor changes that I made from the default settings were Color, which I dropped a few notches, and Tint.
Tint, (sometimes labeled Hue on other TVs), was the real wild card. Depending on my source material, I would push it towards Green or with other content, towards Red.
I see this fluctuation as a characteristic of the DVD players and programs and not a flaw with the TV. As a matter of fact, this VIERA responded well to my tweaks and produced very good picture quality.
Now, if you really want to get down to the nitty gritty of subtle adjustments of specific colors, this is not the TV for you. The TC-37LZ85 simply does not have a expanded toolset of advanced picture adjustment controls, which I don't mind if the settings available do the job. And they do.
On a side note, I'm usually not a big fan of the Cinema preset Picture Mode. It's often a bit too muted and warm for me. To my surprise, after I adjusted Custom to my preference, I clicked over to Cinema and it was very similar. I could live with Cinema, though I would probably have to switch the Color Temp from Warm to Normal.
Since this HDTV arrived late, I didn't have a chance to compare it to other 37" TVs that were in the roundup. Therefore I must rely on my notes and visual memory.
To begin, I just went back and replayed some of my reference DVDs, on the TC-37LZ85. When it comes to high definition DVDs, the VIERA performs admirably. The video is clean, sharp and colorful, with good flesh tones.
If you really want to test your HDTV, you should feed it an occasional B&W classic like Josef von Sternberg's sumptous Scarlet Empress starring Marlene Dietrich.
The black levels on this Viera could be deeper, but they compare well to the other 37" LCDs. None of them can match the deep, smooth blacks of a good plasma TV. And none can transmute standard definition lead into high definition gold.
A non-scientific indicator of a TV's performance is my twitch level when watching content. When I am critically viewing for factors like color balance and contrast, if I spy some flaw in the image, my thumb begins to twitch for a tweak on the remote control.
When I can go through scene after scene without a twitch, that's good. And when I find myself relaxing and simply enjoying the movie, that's very good. With this Panasonic, more often than not, I was in my comfort zone. Even Dr. Phil in HD didn't knock me out of it.
Since the TC-37LZ85 does not supply a VGA input, I connected the TV to my desktop PC with a DVI to HDMI cable (DVI out of the video card to HDMI into the TV). From the TV's menu, you can assign one of the Audio Ins associated with the Composite or Component inputs to serve as the audio source for this HDMI input.
I set the video card to output 1920 x 1080 and the result made me want to designate this VIERA my dedicated computer monitor, especially since I have added a Blu-ray player into the box. Internet pages and word documents were easy to read, even from a distance. At 37", editing images in Photoshop becomes much more efficient.
As for the audio emanating from the pair of 10W speakers, it's good for TV audio, but it won't be confused for the depth and differentiation of sound that you will hear from a dedicated audio system.
The Audio Menu supplies the basic Treble and Bass controls, and a few advanced features like Surround and Bass Boost, but no Equalizer. I find that with stereo speakers activating Surround tends to muffle dialog.
I also noticed that if I chose PCM audio out on the concert Blu-ray DVD of Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds performing Live at Radio City that I couldn't turn the Volume past half before the speakers started to shake and distort. If I switched to Dolby Digital 5.1 output, the audio levels dropped and I had more range in the Volume control.
Still, I recommend bypassing these integrated speakers, especially for audio fidelity critical content.
The Panasonic VIERA TC-37LZ85 pumps out first-rate picture quality that stands up well to the other 37" LCDs in our roundup. If you are an avid videophile who likes to fine tune your TVs, then the limited picture adjustment toolset is not for you.
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