Panasonic does include a Wi-Fi adapter, so you can get network access even if you can't stretch an ethernet cable from your router to your TV. However you make the connection, the TC-P50ST30 provides a good selection of Internet content, including Amazon's and CinemaNow's pay-per-view services, Facebook, Netflix, Pandora, YouTube, and more.

That same network connection also gives you access to the photos, music, and videos on your computer. Your PC will have to be on and running a DLNA server, but since Windows Media Player is a DLNA server, that shouldn't be a problem. The DLNA option does an especially good job with music; you can search for the right song by genre, artist, albums, playlists, and other criteria.

The TC-P50ST30 has USB ports and an SD Card slot, so you can carry media files physically to the HDTV if you prefer. You can't browse music on a card or drive as you can via DLNA; the television finds all of the appropriate files on the plugged-in media, saving you the hassle of searching through folders. It also offers an impressive slideshow tool, with plenty of transition effects and background-music options.

Its video and audio formats are limited, however. The TC-P50ST30 plays only .mp3 and .aac audio, and it couldn't manage two of the video formats I threw at it. It handles more formats with DLNA, where the server can do some of the decoding. You'll find a list of supported formats on page 30 of the manual, which is .

Whether electronic or on paper, that manual is well laid out, and it includes several useful explanations and illustrations. It has a three-page FAQ and an index. The TC-P50ST30 also comes with a colorful and useful quick-setup guide.