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Panasonic TX-P42U30B info and resources

1 x Scart

Scart is a connection between two pieces of audio visual equipment. Although being gradually replaced by the newer HDMI connections, scart is still used on some non-HD equipment you may have (such as pre-HD sky boxes). As such modern TVs normally have one or more scart sockets to make them backwards compatible. The [product_name] has 2 scart connections for this purpose.

1080p

Full HD TVs are capable of showing high definition images that are up to five times as sharp and detailed as old style 'standard definition' images. You'll need to have an HD source, such as a Blu-ray player, games console or HD TV to be able to really see the difference though. All TVs on sale today are HD-Ready. A Full HD TV has a letter p after it and this means that the picture is shown in the best possible quality.

1920 x 1080

1920 x 1080 is the highest resolution available on a television. Often shortened to 1080p, it refers to the number of pixels a screen can display and the level of detail it can show.

2 x HDMI

The P42U30B has 2 x HDMI inputs. HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface and is a standard used for audio / visual equipment. Like the older scart, HDMI is a port that allows you to connect things like Blu-ray players and games consoles to your television. Unlike scart, they're very easy to plug in - and take up a fraction of the space scart leads do. HDMI allows for HD devices to send high resolution information to the television. HDMI is an uncompressed digital signal, as opposed to previous analog interfaces such as S-Video, component video and composite video. In short, HDMI is the best way to connect your AV equipment and is going to be with us a good way into the future. There's a really good blog post over at Hi-Def hardware if you'd like to find out more.

24p True Cinema

There's nothing better than enjoying a film on your home cinema system. And if you're a fan of the movies then you'll want to make sure you buy a TV with 24p True Cinema. (Sometimes called 24p Real Cinema). The P42U30B comes with 24p True Cinema. What this basically means is that the TV works in sync with your movie player and shows each frame of the film at a the exact rate it was filmed at. You may not have noticed in the past but older TVs weren't capable of this and had to subtly adjust the speed of the movie to match the TV. 24p shows films exactly at the same rate you'd get in a movie theatre.

600Hz Motion

Freeview HD

If the idea of paying a subscription fee each month for HD television programs doesn't appeal then you'll be pleased to know that the Panasonic TX-P42U30B comes with Freeview HD built in. Freeview HD is the high definition big brother to Freeview and allows you to enjoy completely free access to HD stations such as BBC HD and many more. There are currently over 50 Freeview HD stations, with the line-up constantly being revised and added to. Find out what you can watch on Freeview HD here.

V-Audio Surround

V-Audio Surround is an audio technology used in Panasonic TVs, such as the Panasonic TX-P42U30B, that creates the same effect you'd get from a surround sound speaker system from the TVs built in speakers. It aims to replicate the same sound you'd get from a multi-channel surround sound theatre system and deliver a rich sound, with deep bass and clear detail, from only two speakers.

Most modern TVs have some form of virtual or '3D' surround, with each manufacturer having their own name for the technology. Virtual surround is ideal for games, movies or listening to music. You can customize, or disable it in the TV's settings if you decide it's not for you.

There's a lot more info on the V-Audio page at Panasonic and some details on both V-Audio Surround and V-Audio Pro Surround at the Veira Exerience website.

VIERA Connect

Viera Connect is a service offered by Panasonic to owners of their Smart TV range. It allows users to download and install Apps from their App store. Users of Apple products such as the iPhone will be familiar with Apps. These small programs can be in a number of categories from games to productivity tools. Categories of Apps available using Viera Connect include sports, social networking, Youtube, Games and much more. As with other stores, there's a range of free and paid apps that will appear on your Panasonic TX-P42U30B's home screen once installed. Here's a video showing the Viera Connect App Store in action.

Viera image viewer

Viera Image viewer lets you look at your photographs direct on your TV, using an SD card slot in the side. SD cards are used in most modern cameras and TVs such as the P42U30B allow you to enjoy your HD snaps and movies quickly and easily. Read up on Viera Image Viewer on the Panasonic site here.

VIERA Link

Viera Link from Panasonic lets you control all your Home Theatre devices with one remote. It's something that's found on many Panasonic products from 2007 onwards.  By pressing the Viera Link button on youre remote, you can access to your DVD recorder, Home Cinema, TV and even your iPod using simple on-screen menus. The information is passed along via HDMI cables. There's a good demo of Viera Link in action here:

And there's a lengthy page about how it all works on the Panasonic website here.

Wi-fi Ready

The Panasonic TX-P42U30B has features that use content from the Internet. To use these extra capabilities, you'll need to connect your TV to the web. This can be done via your existing home Internet connection using the router supplied by your service provider.