Panasonic adds Viera-3d TV to European line-up

Panasonic has announced its 2011 European TV lineup at its annual Panasonic Convention event. New is the addition of the Viera DT35-3d LCD TV and smaller screen sizes of the Viera VT30 plasma TV.

The new Viera DT35, a 3D LCD TV with edge-lit LED backlight, is exclusive to the European market. The only difference with the Viera DT30, as announced at the beginning of January at CES 2011, is in the screen area, which is angled at seven degrees. This should improve viewing comfort. Last year Sony was the first TV manufacturer to bring models with the screen at an angle, which is six degrees with Sony TVs. Panasonic has adapted the foot of the DT35 so that the display is stable, despite the rearward position. Because the bottom of the screen part of the DT35 extends in front of the foot, the foot is hardly visible at the front.

Like the DT30, the DT35 is part of Panasonic’s ‘Pure Line’. This means that the TV has very flat bezels made of plastic-coated aluminum, a metal bezel all around and a thin design. Like the rest of the 2011 TV lineup, the DT35 features ips alpha panels. Unlike in previous years, Panasonic no longer source these from LG, but instead manufactures the panels itself in a new factory, which was officially opened in November 2010.

According to the Panasonic booth at CES 2011, the new high-end 3D plasma TV Viera VT30 for the US market would only be available in 55″ and 65″ sizes, but Panasonic Europe announced at its annual event that there are a 42″ and a 50″ variant will also arrive. The latter two will be available from May or June, while the 55″ version will only be available in July. The TV comes with a WiFi adapter and two 3D glasses.

The VT30 has an improved ‘louver’ filter for a deeper black display and is the first TV from Panasonic to be THX certified for both 2D and 3D. LG already had the scoop with the LG PX950N-3d plasma TV at the end of last year. The VT30 is part of the so-called High Line. This line is characterized, among other things, by the glass plate on the front, which covers the bezels and the screen. The rest of the 2011 TV lineup matches the models announced at CES. The 2011 Internet-enabled models feature Panasonic’s updated IPTV platform, Viera Connect.