Panasonic TX-50GX700B 50 inch 4K Ultra HD HDR Smart LED TV with Freeview Play, Black (2019)

Netflix app needs attention but Panasonic haven't got the faintest idea how to fix it. I have had the set replaced and it has exactly the same problem. When searching through the films or watching one the picture will reduce in size and then it's a pig to get back to normal screen. It's the only app with a problem. The answer to this is to buy an Amazon Fire stick. Problem solved. Perfection. Come on Panasonic get your act together and sort this out. Update : Screen often has a red or green tint and the only way to cure it is to restart the tv. Panasonic used to be the best, now there the worst. A few years ago I bought two Panasonic blu-ray players two hundred miles apart and they both had tee same fault. In a few weeks I`m getting a Sony tv so goodbye Panasonic rubbish. Quality has plummeted since there not made in Japan.

I was in the market for a new 4k tv. I knew I wanted something for the living room that would be the centre piece and that would blow me away when displaying 4k content. The tv would have to be able stream in 4k, and play 4k files and movies off a usb drive. It would also have to have half decent sound too. Anything else it could do well in my eyes, would just be a bonus. I am not deluded enough to think that a 4k panel at this price point would be able to upscale standard definition content to anything other than passable viewing, (e.g. low quality 720p movie files and standard broadcast tv (576i)I looked at reviews and you tube clips for a lot of tvs in this price range and size, from Hisense, Samsung, Phillips and even TCL. Despite Samsung panels getting rave reviews, I decided I wasn't going to buy a tv that you couldn't fully control. Wifi and Bluetooth are not able to be switched off on a modern Samsung tv, Which means Samsung owners viewing pleasure being spoiled by notifications of devices nearby attempting to connect to their tv. Absolutely crazy, Samsung what are you thinking?! So they were out. Phillips I disregarded, as ambilight felt gimmicky, and the fact it is used to help give the perception of deeper blacks says it all. Besides buying a Samsung or Phillips size 50 inch screen gave no guarantee that you would receive a VA panel. You could receive an IPS panel instead, simply put a lottery. Oh yes, I'd done my research enough to know I wanted a VA panel, which would give me the deeper blacks and brighter whites you need for a quality picture. TCL and Hisense although getting good reviews depending on what model you buy, are the budget, budget end of the market. I just didn't want to take the risk in terms of longevity/support etc. That left Panasonic, an established big name manufacturer. I couldn't afford the universally praised GX800, so crossed my fingers and decided the GX700 being its younger brother couldn't be all bad. I decided this was the one I was going to buy!The reviews on this site where mainly positive for this tv but despite that what mainly bothered was the small number of negative ones. Especially the reviewers complaining about the picture quality and no amount of playing with the settings could improve them. After all this was going to be my main tv and picture quality was the main reason in buying this set. What many people don't mention is the GX700 has a very high brightness level (nits) in this this price range at 450. This is very important in any attempt to display HDR content to an acceptable level, when you consider the specification demands 1000nits. I took the plunge and purchased it.First things first, this tv is a real looker. It is slimline, sleek looking a proper shade of black and more importantly very lightweight. That in itself is a huge reason to buy this tv over others. I will now go into bullet points as to my initial observations in setting up and usage: Ethernet was used in all testing below.Setting up the stand feet was a simple process, use the polystyrene included and refer to instructions includedIf you were to lose the remote, Panasonic have made sure you wouldn't be left in the lurch with power, input and volume buttons on the side of tv.Make sure you select HOME mode and not SHOP mode in the set up menu. This is important for picture quality, contrast levels etc.Update firmware first: This was a straight forward process with no hiccups.I did not change any picture settings in testing. The default mode was normal. Adaptive backlight dimming was already off - contrast was on default of at100I Played 4k files on my usb stick via the home menu: A Beautiful picture, vivid colours and smooth playback but what stands out is the depth of picture this panel displays with certain content. Remember this is without calibration.Tried the in built You tube. Changed settings from default 720p to 4k. Played some 4k clips - Again a beautiful picture, vivid colours with smooth playback, almost a 3d like quality to images. (45mbps ethernet speed)Screen glare was not too bad in a brightly lit room and you can see exactly what is happening on the screen. Although when switched off the tv effectively becomes a 50 inch mirror and be aware in ink black scenes you will see yourself and furniture reflected back at you.Viewing angles were passable and did not detract greatly from the viewing. However, this being a VA panel there is a slight drop in colour intensity the further you move from the centre. In my house the armchair I sit on is directly in front of this tv to ensure I am not missing out on the best the panel has to offer. However, if you have a household with a big living room, loads of viewers or you want to mount the tv on the wall - I would get a good IPS panel instead. Its disappointing that you can spend this kind of money on this size of tv and still have to worry that everyone is seeing the same thing regardless of it being a VA or IPS panel. Just because we haven't bought a £1000 tv, in my opinion, we shouldn't have to make sacrifices like this in this day and age.I Fitted my antenna and checked out daytime tv. Please note bbc i player etc are accessed via freeview play button. High def channels were more than passable however standard def channels displayed a noticeable drop in quality but again were watchable. A softening of the picture as expected. And when there are large chunks of the same colour in the background, say green for example , you'll get a small section of pixelated green for a brief moment. Not all the time but it does happen the lower the content you feed the panel.But, if I wanted a better experience, I would of bought a 1080p panel and not a 4k panel. And this is where you have to check your expectations. This is a 4k panel that deserves to be fed the best source you can give it such as Ultra bluray, HD10+ or good quality 4k streaming. . I was however very impressed with the picture I got on this tv from the few 4k sample files I had downloaded to usb and the 4k You tube streaming that I initially tested. It was definitely more hit than miss with this panel and if I had a 4k Ultra player, im sure this ratio would improve greatlyIf you really want to see what this tv can do, watch The first few seconds of episode 1 season 1 of The Witcher on Netflix. If that doesn't blow you away nothing will. The depth and 3d quality to that opening scene is astonishing. Its almost like you can step into the tv and your there. This visual depth continues the whole way through the episode. The detail in The Witchers and other characters outfits, Buildings, castles and forests beautifully rendered. The whole episode a visual delight that showcases a good tv panel, including this one. Amazing visual tour de force the Witcher series is from Netflix.Software was not my main concern when I bought this tv but I will comment on it for the purposes of the review. On the whole it is smooth and input recognition on the remote quick and true. However, when you enter my apps store you cannot adjust the volume or even exit back to home. You have to reboot tv (power off) to get out of the app store Hopefully this will be addressed in a firmware update.Sound was more than adequate for everyday viewing. And no, I wont be adding a soundbar its not needed for the volume levels I watch at. Besides soundbars cannot ever produce true surround sound, you need a multiple speaker setup for that. A worthwhile investment to accompany any good screen. However, its worth mentioning on some movies dialogue can get a little lost in action scenes. But on the whole sound is better than most at this price point especially when taking in the slimline design. Even in the beautifully rendered Witcher series I did notice this tv managed to introduce small traces of picture noise. Although evident they were fleeting enough not to spoil the overall viewing experience .On this panel, skin tones on the whole look very natural but then dependant on certain lighting conditions within the movie (certain scenes, say for example outdoor vs indoor lighting), they can look slightly off (blotchy reds or too much yellow in faces for example). Its pointless driving yourself mad within the picture settings trying to get every face perfect on screen with every source/scene, It wont happen, unless maybe with expert calibration. Even then, there will probably still be small errors with the perceived picture, as this panels processing power can only do so much. You will have to spend alot more to get a tv that can handle all the colour variations, brightness levels etc and still display skin tones accurately on screen.Before buying this panel I had looked at countless reviews, display tv's in shops and even had a benchmark set by my 32 inch VA 4k Benq gaming/movie monitor. This Panasonic tv more than holds it's own and is a noticeable improvement over my popular 4k Benq monitor for picture quality and sound. Especially, in terms of depth perception. Be prepared when switching from a 1080p panel to a 4k panel, the level of enhanced detail tends to strip back scenes to an almost basic premise. For example, if the scene is set in a warehouse, it will really look like a bog standard warehouse with all the detail in the walls etc now in full view. Its hard to explain but very evident on a good panel.To all those reviewers that were not impressed with the overall picture quality all I can say is what??? Either you do not have the 50 inch version with the VA panel, your tv is defective or you are watching standard def sources and expecting miracles. I did not have to touch one setting to get an amazing picture out of this tv. If you are the type of person who sits back and can enjoy a beautiful picture without looking for the smallest fault, this tv is for you. If you live your life looking for halos blooming and perfect skin tone at all times, then maybe a tv in this price range is not for you. I may update this review as I do more testing, but for now a well deserved 3 stars.Further testing updates:When watching movies via a usb drive the tv does not have a resume feature. Worse still the fast forwarding is extremely slow and you cannot skip to a part you want in the movie directly, either. Hopefully Panasonic will address this in a further update.Sometimes when connecting a usb you have used previously the tv will say device not connected. You have to turn off the tv and turn it back on for the device to be recognised. It also rarely recognises a usb device from some of the less recognised brands. Again, hopefully a firmware update can rectify this.Also on further testing - I have noticed some momentary brightness changes in the picture when watching on this tv - Almost as if despite me turning backlight and ambient sensor settings off, they still remain on. Not sure if this can be rectified by firmware but as a result of this and sound inconsistencies I have downgraded my review from 4 stars to 3Visual delights on this 50 inch panel:If your settings are right (very subjective) the sources I've mentioned below should have accurate skin tones and good pop to the colours in a realistic way - detail in close up scenes especially, should be amazing, with good black levels throughout.Deadpool 1 4k - when you get the settings right this is a glorious picture - Deadpools red suit should pop and the glass shards on the pavement almost glisten! (first action scene). skin tones out of the box are also very good on this panel and look natural (unlike the Samsung panels I have seen were faces are way too red, requiring careful calibration to eradicate!)Planet Earth 2 episode 1 4k The intro (the one with the pygmy sloth) - Absolutely amazing picture and the panning shots of the earths landscape are handled well on this panel. The 20 sec intro is a true test of any panel - check it out!Guardians of the galaxy (first one) 4k- Vibrant lush colours - A Visual delight.Justice league 4k - Cyborgs eye/heart should be reddish/orange colour and beam out from the darkness - This is a gritty dark film but close up shots of the Justice league teams suits should reveal tremendous levels of detail. Colours should. Great movie for showing off this tv.Just checked out Transformers Dark of the Moon (don't ask) -1080p Bluray on a Panasonic bluray player (not even Ultra bluray) - Outstanding quality - Set the bluray player to 24fps and check out the scene where he goes to meet his girlfriend at her place of work - early on in the movie - Amazing depth, colours (the contrast between the white building and the brightly coloured cars!) and skin tones - To be honest I cant imagine it getting better than that. Spend oodles more and it probably could but my little brain is more than happy with the picture quality I'm getting at this price point. Like I said, the better source you feed it, the more you are rewarded.Avatar Bluray - Fired up this classic yesterday - Such beautiful, bold colours on this panel, a real joy to watch. A special note must go to the quality of the the animated sequences! Bring on Avatar 2!info: 24th Oct 2020 - No over the air update has been forthcoming from Panasonic - current firmware still, 1.040P.s I paid £350 for this TV (Hughes Direct), Its been as low as £329 in the past. I would certainly not pay the £450 Hughes direct is now charging, - there are better options at that price point.Finally! - 7th Aug 2021 - Over the air update now available and it seems to have gone someway to helping cure the screen brightness flickering as described earlier (However this is still not completely eliminated). There is still no resume feature when watching movies on USB and fast forwarding is still frustratingly slow.

THe TV is a really attractive unit. I purchased a stand mount to raise it up, and have a Sonos Beam underneath for sound. (The actual TV sound is poor, but I find all flat panels are!).The unit is attractive and the screen is thin but feels sturdy.In terms of the setup, it was easy to get working out of the box and the networking and general setup was excellent. DO beware SONOS customers - for the HDMI ARC to work you need to turn on 'CEC' in one of the sub-menus - this used to be VIERA LINK, and then there is a toggle to turn the (infuriatingly already identified) attached Beam 'on' so sound goes through it.The only disappointment (initial it must be said) is the default picture settings. I am running a 4K Apple TV through this with various streaming services and, whichever picture default I chose, the images either looked washed out and devoid of colour, or the lips / cheeks were BRIGHT red and the skin a ghostly translucent white; it was really difficult to get the settings right as there are just so many! Frankly, I don't see in this day and age that we need all those settings - Apple / MS with their ultra high res screens allow you to tinker with the basics (brightness, contrast) but after that they just present vivid, clear, and perfectly contrasting images without all this messing about; this was a really unnecessary waste of hours over many days to get it looking passable. I am sure purists out there will disagree, but frankly, for someone that understands (and who's eyes are capable of processing that level of detail on each frame) all those settings in detail, you are 1 in 10000 people. For the other 9999 it would be good if this could just be standardised or just actually work out of the box.

Purchsed to replace my ageing LG Plasma TV, the panasonic produces absolutly stunning picture quality if the broadcast source is available , on full HD 1080 wonderfull and on 4k source remarkable. however i am unfairly rating overall as 4 star as standard tv 576/50 is blured sort of out of focus effect, not as clear as my old TV by a long way, i fully understand that you cannot get HD quality on low grade signal, but the actual performance on drama channel / yesterday/ itv3 etc via Antenna is much lower than my expectation. BBC1,2 and ITV 1 HD via antenna picture quality is wondefull, maybe a more expensive tv would have a better image processor to upscale standard non HD content? as a result i am waching more interned based tv and enjoying the superb quality the set is capable of.

The first TV stopped functioning properly after a few days. The second was delivered promptly and has been better but still has glitches and won't allow you to change channels unless to you turn if off and on again. It's a shame that the reliability is so poor because the TV looks good, has a good picture (especially in HD), sound is okay and it's very easy to set up and operate (when it behaves). Price is very good for such a large HDTV.