Never had any problems with the SD card reader for still images yet. Have you made sure the pictures are in JPEG? Usually when you insert the SD card into the tv, a message appears on the screen saying if you want to view pictures or AVCHD movie footage, you dont need to go through the Viera Tools to be honest. If the message does not appear when you insert your SD card, then it could be that you have files on the SD card that the tv may not be able to play or display.