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What is VIERA Link?
The slogan for Panasonic's VIERA link is 'Bringing control of all your AV Devices to just one fingertip!' But what is this technology all about, and is it worth getting a TV that uses it?
VIERA link is all to do with how the components of your home entertainment system connect and interact with one another. I'm sure everyone is familiar with the scenario of having many different remote controls lying around on the living room table. What Panasonic wanted to do was to cut down all of the remotes to just one - making life easier and a bit less cluttered - and make controlling different components simpler.
The VIERA remote control allows you to operate any other Panasonic product that supports VIERA link. The only requirement is that the devices are connected to your TV via an HDMI cable.
The VIERA remote looks like a regular remote and has familiar controls such as volume, play controls, and the other buttons you'd expect to find. It does however also feature a special button - the VIERA Link button.
When you connect a device to the TV, it will automatically recognise what you have plugged in. The VIERA link button lets you quickly find and manage the devices that are connected to your Panasonic TV. You can start your DVD recording, playback a Blu-ray disc or access your Freeview TV recorder or setup your surround sound home cinema. It's all done through a very simple series of on-screen menus.
The one remote is used to control all of the features of your different devices. And the on-screen prompts mean you will never be at a loss for what to press. Another cool benefit is the way you can power down all of your connected devices via one button. Power down the TV and the other devices will also power down. Personally, I switch everything off at the mains every night but I'm sure this feature will be of value to some users.
To compare the system to one of the Universal Remotes that are available in any high street is perhaps doing VIERA Link a slight disservice. The system offers far more interactivity between your devices and allows you do do a lot more than simply playing DVDs and changing channels from your remote. The menu-driven system, and the level of control over your HDMI devices is on a completely different level.
Drawbacks to VIERA link
It's clear to see that VIERA link is the way forward if you're a Panasonic user and you're planning to buy VIERA link products. Of course if you already have say a Sony Blu-ray player, Sky and a non-Panasonic home audio system you're not going to benefit from VIERA link. But if you're planning to buy each of your components from the Panasonic range, you can improve your experience and convenience a great deal by opting for a TV that supports VIERA link.
