My Panasonic smart tv is a bit stupid!

The Wild Goose

I don't know if I'm posting in the correct forum, so feel free to move me if I'm not.
Basically I'm just trying to give people the heads up if they're in the market for a new smart TV and were thinking of buying Panasonic.

So I purchased my shiny new smart tv a couple of weeks before Christmas 2018 (a 55"Panasonic model no:TX-55FX550B). Everything was fine and dandy initially, but as the weeks have gone by I've since noticed a few 'issues'.
Don't worry, I'm not going to go all technical or anything, but just to point out some things that they don't tell you about when you buy it....

1. RTE Player:
A few weeks into viewing my daughter suggested I should watch a programme on the player. After trying to access RTE player a number of different ways I did a bit of research. Finally I contacted Panasonic support.
Bottom line is...you can't get RTE player on a Panasonic TV.

2. The Remote:
Apart from a few things like changing channels or volume, the remote is totally useless. When I say useless I mean it's unfit to use for inputting information. If you go into Google search for example, to enter the letter 's' requires you to press number 7 five times (7, p, q, r, S).
Painstaking as that might be, what's worse is that there's no backspace key, and on some clicks the button doesn't register. So if you're typing four words and on the last word you make a mistake, you have to exit Google and start the whole process again.

3. Amazon Prime:
I'm already an Amazon Prime member, so I can access all the Amazon Prime movies and series, right?
Er no, because the shoddy remote isn't capable of typing in your details on the Amazon login page. It just doesn't recognise it.
Which brings me on to point four...

4. You can't use a wireless keyboard on a Panasonic:
Then I thought "If I get a keyboard to replace the useless remote everything will be fine". So I shelled out over €30 and bought a Microsoft all-in-one remote keyboard. I read the Q & A on it before buying and the consensus seemed to be that it would work with any smart TV.
I plugged it in and...nothing!
The TV didn't recognise it. After trying everything I could think of I contacted Panasonic.
I was told that wireless keyboards don't work on a Panasonic...but a wired keyboard "should".
What?? Have I just been transported back to the '80's??
In the 1980's I had a VCR (remember them?) with a wired remote that you strung across the living room floor. That was cutting edge back then but that was nearly 40 years ago!!

So much for calling something a 'smart tv'.
I'm posting this as advice to anyone in the market for a smart tv.
So buyer beware...you may not get all the relevant information from your friendly salesperson.
If any of what I said is incorrect than please inform me otherwise, but most of this information has been given by the Panasonic helpline themselves along with my own observations.

AMKC

I have to ask Is the Remote a touch screen remote or buttons? I nearly bought a Panasonic before Xmas as well but decided not to. I bought a different one instead If you do not like the TV and it is not doing what you want it to do Why not just sell it and get another TV?

The Wild Goose

The remote is just buttons, and not very good quality either as sometimes they don't register properly.
The reason I went for this tv was because it was one of the few that had the ability to connect a DVD player (I've a lot of DVD's and most brands seem to have done away with rca or scart connections as most movies now are streamed).

I only posted to hopefully make others aware that because it's called a smart tv people shouldn't assume they're going to have proper access to things like Google/Amazon etc. Like the Amazon Prime is on the screen but can't be accessed, Google is unusable with the supplied remote etc.

AMKC

The Wild Goose wrote: »

The remote is just buttons, and not very good quality either as sometimes they don't register properly.
The reason I went for this tv was because it was one of the few that had the ability to connect a DVD player (I've a lot of DVD's and most brands seem to have done away with rca or scart connections as most movies now are streamed).

I only posted to hopefully make others aware that because it's called a smart tv people shouldn't assume they're going to have proper access to things like Google/Amazon etc. Like the Amazon Prime is on the screen but can't be accessed, Google is unusable with the supplied remote etc.

Maybe you could ask Panasonic for a software update? Surely they would be able to do that.

The reason I went for this tv was because it was one of the few that had the ability to connect a DVD player (I've a lot of DVD's and most brands seem to have done away with rca or scart connections as most movies now are streamed).
I done the same as I also have a lot of DVD's and Blu ray discs. The reason that there is very few TV's with a scart plug anymore is because HDMI came along and it is of better quality as well as smaller so using less space. Could you not have connected your DVD Player via HDMI? You can get a scart to HDMI adapter cable to that lets you plug a scart lead into one end of it and it then plugs into the HDMI port on the TV.

Pythagorean

I bought an LG smart TV, and I find it great, RTE player no problem, the web browser has an on screen keyboard, you select the characters using the on screen cursor, using the remote. You tube works fine, there are loads of features on it, I only use a few of them, but that's all I need. No scart, but that is normal these days.

tweeky

The RTE Player no show is an RTE issue, they need to put the app on the Panasonic store. A wireless keyboard will connect to the TV via Bluetooth, make sure it’s switched on as it’s default is off. I have no problems with Amazon Prime I just logged on via my iPad and followed the onscreen instruction. Make sure the TV is connected to the internet. I found using the Panasonic remote app made all this a lot easier.

setanta1000

For what it's worth I also bought a pretty basic LG TV at Christmas and the Smart functionality is very good and intuitive and greatly exceeded my expectations and very good picture quality.....I know that doesn't really help the OP....sorry!

aresnglan

I agree you tube and RTÉ player are the only two apps I have any use I have an Éireann box and can’t even virgin media player to work

aresnglan

I think Panasonic need to revamp the smart tv

grayzer75

I have a Panasonic smart TV and the apps are pure ****e, wish I had got an LG but would never go back to Samdung over the numerous issues myself and the inlaws had with them. I ended up getting a Roku box to supplement the Panasonic crap app market - best buy ever.

pinkypinky

My Panasonic came with the Netflix, Amazon, Youtube and Tg4 apps built in. I use the RTE player through my Sky connection.
I can log into Google on the browser (it's firefox) so have rented movies that way. It was tedious logging into it but then I left it logged in.

I had Disney plus for a while but it was a pain - had to use via a hdmi connection from my laptop.

Overall, I'm happy enough with my tv but I can see this becoming a bigger issue as time goes by.