Panasonic TX-L39E6 Review
Panasonic TX-L39E6
The first 39-inch TV we've ever tested turns out to be rather good.
Sections
- Page 1 Panasonic TX-L39E6 Review
- Page 2 Online Services, Second-screen Support and Picture Quality Review
- Page 3 Contrast, Standard Definition and Verdict Review
Verdict
Pros
- Good picture quality
- My Home Screen Interface is excellent
- Decent value
Cons
- Input lag is a little high
- No 3D functionality
- Viera Connect lacks some major video services
Key Specifications
- Review Price: £699.00
- 39-inch LCD TV with edge LED lighting
- Viera Connect online features
- Multimedia playback via USB and DLNA
- My Home Screen Interface
- Super-slim frame design
Introduction
Well here’s something you don’t see every day. In fact, here’s something we’ve never seen before ever: a 39-inch TV. We’ve seen plenty of 37-inch models (though they’re less common than they used to be), and 40-inch models are 10 a penny. But 39-inch is definitely a first.
And first impressions are that it’s quite an appealing size – much more satisfying in a typically sized room than a 37-inch screen. We guess you can’t really see much difference between a 39-inch and 40-inch TV, but if you’re struggling to persuade other members of your household to take on a 40-inch TV, then 39-inches might at least be a bit easier to sell…
Panasonic L39E6 – Design
Making the L39E6 an even easier sell to people concerned about the aesthetic impact a TV might have on their home is the remarkable slenderness of its silvery bezel. It’s barely a centimetre wide on three of its sides, and even along the bottom edge the bezel width is only increased by the subtle addition of a narrow and attractive transparent external border.
As well as minimising the L39E6’s aesthetic impact, the ultra-skinny bezel has the effect of enabling you to focus more on the on-screen images, rather than the technology that’s producing them. Which is, of course, a good thing.
This latter point would be especially effective while watching 3D – if only the L39E6 actually supported 3D! As it is, though, if you want 3D you’ll need to step up to one of Panasonic’s ET60 models.
Panasonic L39E6 – Panel Type
The L39E6‘s 2D-only nature is, of course, a pity if you’re a 3D fan. If you’re not, though, our experience of Panasonic’s 2013 TV range to date (we’ve already reviewed the L42E6 and the L55ET60) suggests that the L39E6’s use of a VA-type panel rather than the IPS type used in its 3D TVs might serve the 39-inch model well, as the VA panels Panasonic is using this year seem able to produce a more convincing contrast performance.
Panasonic L39E6 – Connectivity
The L39E6’s connections are solid enough, although ideally we’d have liked to see four HDMIs rather than three, however multimedia uses are well catered for with two USBs, a LAN port and built-in Wi-Fi.
The USBs can be used for playing back a wide range of video, photo and music formats or for recording from the built-in Freeview HD tuner, while the network options can stream in files from DLNA PCs or take the TV online via Panasonic’s Viera Connect platform.
How we test televisions
We test every TV we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.