Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

Hands-On With Panasonic VIERA PZ850 Internet-Ready HDTVs

by Thomas Houston on May 22, 2008 at 09:51 AM



We've been interested in Panasonic's VIERA PZ850 line ever since hearing about its Internet video functionality, and we finally got a chance to check it out in person earlier this week. This high-end line of plasma HDTVs currently has four models, sized at 46", 50", 58" and 65." The picture calibration (brightness, contrast, etc...) can be quickly and easily adjusted for different inputs -- games, home theater, television or custom -- via the on-screen menu system.

One of the key features of the line is the new VIERACast IPTV system. Essentially, it's a portal that lets you access specific Internet entertainment right from your television, and it currently features four different content providers: YouTube (videos), Picasa (pictures), the Weather Channel (weather) and Bloomberg (market information). Once you plug an Ethernet cord into the back of the TV, you'll be able to browse and search YouTube with the TV's remote, and the system will allow you to log in to your YouTube account in order to access favorites, personal videos and other options. You'll also be able to access your pictures if you store them on Picasa.

Although the TV's on-screen menu system for controlling the television itself is both powerful and easy to use, the VIERACast interface felt clunky and unresponsive. Panasonic promises to update the content and interface over time, and they plan to bring additional content providers and Internet functionality to VIERACast.

The TV also comes with multiple connectivity options for a range of digital devices. It can read and display both pictures and video from SD cards -- the storage format that many digital camcorders and cameras use.

We're impressed with the VIERA's picture quality and specs, but the Internet features still leave much to be desired. AppleTV and other media-streaming devices already let us watch Internet video in our living rooms, and we'd really like to see HDTVs offering access to more online content and giving users the ability to customize and pick content providers. Sites such as flickr, Hulu, Netflix and more should be accessible on the TV and just as easy to use as on a computer.

Check out the gallery below for a pictures of the PZ850 and the VIERACast interface. Pricing and release info after the break.

Hands On: VIERA HDTVs



Pricing and Release Dates:
  • TH-65pZ850 - 65-inch, $7999.95, fall
  • TH-58pZ850 - 58-inch, $4299.95, fall
  • TH-50pZ850 - 50-inch, $3499.95, available now
  • TH-46pZ850 - 46-inch, $3099.95, available now

Tags: hdtv, panasonic, upcoming, viera

Comments

1

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular