Overview: Panasonic 60″ 1080p 120Hz IPS LED Smart TV

LCD, LED, HDTV, 3D, 4K, IPS. OMG, right? Ok, that was pretty cheesy, but it was meant to illustrate a point – TVs these days are much more complex than they were only 10 years ago. Not only do you have to understand what all those acronyms mean, you have to understand what constitutes good value. Sure, you could spend the equivalent of one month’s salary on a 60” LED Smart TV, but why would you when you could get much more for your money with the Panasonic 60” 1080p 120Hz IPS LED Smart TV (AS630). It’s got all the acronyms you could want and performance you need, at a price point that won’t break the bank.

The Basics

The Panasonic 60” LED Smart TV features a gigantic 60” display that makes my 36” TV look like it needed to drink more milk as a child. But surprisingly, it doesn’t look as large as its 60” would have you believe. Keeping true to the modern aesthetic of TVs today, this set is sleek and slim, and features a very narrow frame and an unobtrusive stand, making the screen take centre stage.

And the screen does warrant attention. It’s a full 60” that delivers HD 1080p high-definition image quality, so you can watch your movies and TV shows, and play games with super clear and crisp picture quality. Plus, its native 120Hz refresh rate delivers optimal sharpness, clarity and contrast with virtually no image blur, so whether you are watching reality TV or a car chase, you’re sure to see every blemish or tire screech as it was meant (or not meant) to be seen.

IPS Panel

I’m not a fan of admitting when I don’t know something, so when I saw the acronym “IPS” in the AS630’s name, I made it up in my mind that it meant something along the lines of “Innovative Personal Screening.” And while I was wrong, I wasn’t completely off the mark. IPS, or “In-plane switching” panels are recognized worldwide for their leading response time and energy-efficiency. With their cutting-edge technology, IPS panels innovatively align LCD and LED technology to increase viewing angles and ensure vivid and clean moving images. So, in a nutshell, IPS promises world-class viewing experiences, or perhaps “Innovative Personal Screening”? Perhaps?

Connectivity

A TV that comes with ports for all your home theatre and gaming devices is par for the course, and the AS630 doesn’t disappoint. It’s got three HDMI ports for all your home entertainment needs, and also comes equipped with WiFi capabilities so it can tap into your home network – or whichever network you choose to tap into – so you can access the Internet and watch movies and videos from streaming sites like YouTube and Netflix.

Beyond Smart

There are smart TVs, then there’s the Panasonic IPS LED Smart TV. The list of “smart” features this TV has to offer is seemingly endless. Here are a few highlights:

• my Stream
  The Panasonic AS630’s “Life + Screens” feature gets to know the preferences of the TV’s various users (or a family as a whole) and then uses that knowledge to display content to suit their specific tastes. Recommended programs from various sources are all presented within the my Stream interface allowing users to view the content they want to see without having to search for it on their own. 
• Voice Recognition
  Talking to your TV? This is some serious “Jetsons” stuff here people! I know we all take this kind of thing for granted, but it’s really super cool. Side note: I just bought a new car and discovered I can talk to her to have her make calls or play songs on command, and I abuse it every second I get. So very cool. But back to the Panasonic AS630. Through the microphone in the Touch Pad Remote, you can activate the Life+ Screen voice assistant to navigate and search for content from the comfort of the couch. 

• Remote Sharing
  This feature is pretty awesome. If you have content on your smartphone or tablet that you want to share on your TV, you can. Making this feature even cooler is that you can share content when you are at home or away from home. So if you’re hiking Machu Picchu and want to share some photos of your trip for those who had to stay at home, through remote sharing, you can do just that.

All in all, the Panasonic AS630 is a fantastic value for all it brings to the table. If you’re in the market for a new TV, this one should definitely be on your radar!