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Panasonic's WT60 set to impress

Panasonic has never been about flashy features, but things have changed with this year's products.

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Headshot of Ty Pendlebury
Ty Pendlebury Editor
TV and home video editor Ty Pendlebury joined CNET Australia in 2006, and moved to New York City to be a part of CNET in 2011. He tests, reviews and writes about the latest TVs and audio equipment. When he's not playing Call of Duty he's eating whatever cuisine he can get his hands on. He has a cat named after one of the best TVs ever made.
Expertise Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. He is an avid record collector and streaming music enthusiast. Credentials
  • Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
Ty Pendlebury
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LAS VEGAS--In 2012, Panasonic released its largest line of LCDs yet, and this year the range is even bigger with seven different series to choose from. The flagship of the new range is the WT60, and it will be available in two sizes: the 47-inch TC-L47WT60 and the 55-inch TC-L55WT60.

With the addition of Panasonic to the LG Smart TV alliance, and in addition to Panasonic using LG-like panels and features, it could be difficult to tell the two brands' LCD offerings apart this year.

Adding local dimming to this year's replacement for the WT50 is welcome, as poor black levels were an issue with last year's TV. Panasonic says the WT60's Clear Panel Pro further enhance picture quality, and the advanced ISFccc Calibration Mode will enable calibrators to wring a better image from the set.

Panasonic's press conference packs plasmas, wireless speakers, and bone-conducting headphones (pictures)

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Panasonic has never been about flashy features, but things have changed with this year's products. The WT50 offers Swipe and Share 2.0, which lets users tap their NFC smartphone against the TV to share content (likelihood of use: once), and Voice Interaction/Guidance allows users to speak commands into their Panasonic remote or smartphone (likelihood of use: good).

The WT60 series features a minimalist approach to aesthetics that is encompassed by a clear pedestal with an elegant metal bezel.

Panasonic's range of LED TVs will be available in spring 2013 with pricing to be announced.

Watch this: Panasonic WT Series TC-L55WT60