TV Reviews

I had built a tiki bar by my pool and bought this 20" to watch sports. However , it seemed too small for perfect viewing, so I bought a 27" Panasonic to put in the other corner. Watching NFL Ticket and having both tvs on, I have found the picture on the 20" is much sharper and more clear than the 27". Keep in mind, these tvs are exposed to the everchanging Florida weather and after 9 months, they both are working perfectly. I would highly recommend this product.

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I picked one of these up for my Mom for her bedroom. This is they second Panasonic set I've purchased. I like them for three reasons.

1st. These sets seem to be impervious to electrocmagnetic interference. I am a ham radio operator. Unlike most sets that have pictures that jump, or give off an audible click when they pick up radio noise. These sets don't. So, if you don't want problems from your neighbors two way radio's getting into your TV--Buy a Panasonic. They have obviously engineered these sets with this in mind. They are my preferred brand.

2nd: The picture. These sets have a great picture as good or better than any other set. The ultraflat Sony tubes are flatter, but this tube is plenty flat enough for me. I don't notice the curvature in either of the two Panasonics I own. I plan to buy a third one in the next few months.

3rd: The price. You can't beat Panasonic TV's for the money. I liked the Sony TV sets better, but they cost twice as much. I'd rather have two Panasonics than one Sony, or better yet, the money in my pocket.

The remote is small and simple yet does everything you need. The set features on screen programming, sleep timer.

A nice set at a nice price. Buy one and you won't regret it.

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Bart Senior

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I compared 20" sets. This one, the Sony S100, Philips 643R and a similiar Samsung (don't remember model number) - side by side. The Panasonic beat them all. Full-bodied sound (the Philips was scratchy - and my similar 14" Philips sounds great) and many features (the Sony didn't have bass and treble controls). BEST picture. Crisp, sharp. And I'm using an outdoor ANTENNA! (Of course antenna reception depends on where you live.) Circuit City clearance price, as of April 1, '04, is a STEAL!

This TV was definitely a great buy. I thought it would be too small but it is perfect for a bedroom or a small studio. Picture is clear and the color is wonderful. This little set packs great sound. I never have to turn the sound above "10" to be able to hear the set from across my apartment and I think it goes up to 50. It has plenty of a/v plug-ins on the back to keep unsightly cords out of the way which was important to me since I don't play video games. I checked out a lot of the other TVs in this size. The second runner up was a silver Phillips flat screen which retails for $199. With a little more money, I got better picture clarity thanks to the 3 line digital filter (instead of the 1-line in all comparable models within the price range) and suberb sound. I am also enjoying the "last/recall channel" button which makes going back and forth between channels a breeze (something not all can boast). Did I mention that the set is beautiful to look at? The curve at the bottom really adds a bit of elegance to a everyday blocky piece of technology. The matching programmable remote is a nice addition, too, thought I haven't tried to program it yet. The most wonderful thing was that I got the TV within 5 days after ordering even on Free Super Saver Shipping! YAY!!!

This is my first television. When I was in the market for a TV, I had a long list comprising of TVs from Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba and Sharp, which was finally narrowed down to Sony KV27S46 or this one. I researched everywhere on the internet for information, consumer reviews and pricing on these (and other) TVs for atleast a month. Finally, based on price (...) and the fact it comes with a component video input connection which Sony does not offer in their low end models, I went for the Panasonic. I have had it for over a month now and uptil now my experience has been great. The picture is just as good as the Sony's. I haven't had the opportunity to use the component video inputs yet but I'm sure it'll work fine like the rest of the TV. The setup and adjusments are all very easy. You are guided by icons appearing on the screen. The only thing I would change about it is that I would like the buttons on the remote to be a little bigger (a very small gripe). Even with the small buttons, I would recommend this TV without any reservations.

When I retired last fall I decided to get myself a relatively inexpensive TV for the family room where my personal computer is situated. Because I planned to spend several hours a day on the computer doing various writing projects, I wanted a durable and attractive TV that I could watch and have as company as I worked. Being a CNN junkie, I enjoy having the latest news stream in as I am busy doing other things. The color was important, as I would be spending a lot of time over the months watching this set. After visiting a local electronics store (which will remain anonymous here), I discovered that the Panasonic TV I wanted was available here on Amazon for less money than locally, even when I paid for delivery here at home. I ordered it, and the rest, as they say, is history. I have been using this set daily, am quite satisfied with the quality of the picture, audio, and features, and it has performed marvelously in the nine months since. One of the best features is that it cost less than $400, and I find it to be as clear, sharp, and with as good resolution as on my big bucks 36 inch SONY sitting in the living room. You can't go wrong with this one guys! Enjoy

This product is exceptional in its quality and performance. I had originally thought I could save by buying a KONKA. My mistake! AMAZON issued return credit promptly and I immediately purchased the Panasonic. I've had a portable DVD for a few years and decided to upgrade to a bigger picture. This Panasonic has features I will never use but the ones I use are just what I had hoped for - easy use, good picture and good sound. On the other hand, the KONKA was a piece of junk. Wheather this review is helpful to you makes me "no never mind" but I can assure you that you can trust me more than that "person" from China who said he knows KONKA can be a quality product. He writes alot of reviews, none of which I would trust.

I just bought this tv/dvd combo set a week ago. And so far I've come away really impressed with the visual and audio this baby packs. It was the first dvd player I've ever bought, and naturally I saved money by getting this ([price]Costco) rather then buying a tv and a separate dvd player. Also in my opinion the panablack screen looks crisper and clearer then any other dvd/tv set I've seen(excluding HDTV).The sound is also excellent even impressing my parents with the great sound capabilities. Overal, I would recommend this unit to any dorm or single guy who wants a nice litte dvd/tv set that doens't cost to much and offers great picture and sound. You really can't get a better deal with your money. And this baby packs a lot of features for those of you who would like to add on sound capabilities later. Andrew Hanson

My wife and I bought this set about four years ago and it has been better than we could have hoped. I wish it supported Progressive Scan but, evidently, nothing in the sub-27" category does. Notwithstanding this size-class drawback, this is the best television I have ever owned, hands-down. The picture is absurdly better than competitive offerings and, despite its diminutive size, when connected to a nice receiver with surround sound speakers and paired with a DVD player with an S-Video out and digital audio out, it provides the center for a home theater to be reckoned with.

I am extremely impressed with the Panasonic 20" Tau. I looked at 20" flat screens from Aiwa and Sony but the Panasonic had the best balance between performance, sound, and price.

The picture is sharp, bright, and clean, moreso than either the Aiwa or Sony. The menus interface is logical and makes sense. It's a personal preference, but I like how the Panasonic model uses different colors for it's various on-screen information (outside the menu system) versus Aiwa and Sony's monotone color scheme for all on-screen information. The Speakers are clear and crisp, although the one's on the Aiwa were better. (as they should be. Aiwa is a sound company.)

The really nice aspect of the Panasonic model is that it has 3 A/V inputs and a Component Video input, meaning four A/V devices can be hooked up to it. The Aiwa only had 2 A/Vs and Component and the Sony didn't have Component. Additionally, the Panasonic has a Headphone Jack; that's not available on the Sony model.

I personally like the features, great picture, and sound quality of the Panasonic model. I personally think it's the best looking one of the bunch. It cost less than the Sony model but more than the Aiwa model. The Panasonic offered the most features, the best picture, great audio and at a good price. I'd encourage anyone in the market for a high-end, quality 20" TV to give the Panasonic model serious consideration.

I love this TV. Its a nice size and has a very nice picture. It also comes with some very nice features like component video support, front and read a/v inputs

I have had this tv for 3 yrs now and I haven't had a single problem with it. Hooked up everything to it including my xbox, reciever, dvd player, vcr and everything just worked.

I liked the price for the feature set.

When entering into the tube TV market (20 inches and above) your best bet for uniform picture quality and consistent performance is PANASONIC and SONY. Both of these manufactures stake their reputations on this market. Both manufacturers also have a loyal following of satisfied customers who return time and again to their Televisions. I used to sell audio and video products. A returning PANASONIC customer settles for nothing but another PANASONIC television. A returning SONY customer settles for nothing but another SONY television. That's the way it was. From my point of view PANASONIC and SONY still make the best television sets utilizing a conventional picture tube. Price range aside, my criteria for choosing a set is simply how well the picture looks to me. I look for picture definition, sharpness and color consistency. Personally I found SONY to have a slight edge over PANASONIC in picture definition and sharpness. PANASONIC televisions offer great definition with a slightly softer looking image than SONY. However, I do find that PANASONIC has better control over color consistency. A color picture is made up of Red, Green and Blue signals. Reds are the hardest to reproduce and control because they have a tendency to over-saturate and "bleed." From the many sets that I have observed PANASONIC controls this "bleeding." PANASONIC keeps the Red signal at the same level and consistency of the Greens and Blues, which is more pleasing to the eye. In order to compare sets I always use the same video source, which is usually, a DVD player (I use the same player as well as the same software).

I am making particular note of this PANASONIC 32-inch set because of all the comparisons I have done this is the one PANASONIC set that looked consistently better (picture-wise) than any SONY set in the same 32-inch category (SONY KV32S42, SONY KV32FS12, SONY KV32FS16 and SONY KV32FV16). And these SONY sets looked pretty darn good and they are especially the SONY KV32FS16 and SONY KV32FV16. My point is that I saw a discernable difference in the PANASONIC 32-inch sets compared to Sony's 32-inch sets.

I still spend weekends window-shopping. PANASONIC and SONY still manufacture the best tube televisions as far as I can discern. When entering into the tube TV market (20 inches and above) your best bet for uniform picture quality and consistent performance is PANASONIC and SONY. Both of these manufactures still stake their reputations on this market. Both manufacturers also still have a loyal following of satisfied customers who return time and again to their Televisions. I used to sell audio and video products. A returning PANASONIC customer settles for nothing but another PANASONIC television. A returning SONY customer settles for nothing but another SONY television. That's the way it was. From my point of view PANASONIC and SONY still make the best television sets utilizing a conventional picture tube. Price range aside, my criteria for choosing a set is simply how well the picture looks to me. I look for picture definition, sharpness and color consistency. Personally I found SONY to have a slight edge over PANASONIC in picture definition and sharpness. PANASONIC televisions offer great definition with a slightly softer looking image than SONY. However, I do find that PANASONIC still has better control over color consistency. A color picture is made up of Red, Green and Blue signals. Reds are the hardest to reproduce and control because they have a tendency to over-saturate and "bleed." From the many sets that I have observed PANASONIC controls this "bleeding." PANASONIC keeps the Red signal at the same level and consistency of the Greens and Blues, which is more pleasing to the eye. In order to compare sets I always use the same video source, which is usually, a DVD player (I use the same player as well as the same software). My point is that I saw a discernable difference in the PANASONIC 32-inch sets compared to Sony's 32-inch sets. The Panasonic CT32SX31 32" Diagonal Stereo Monitor-Receiver Pure Flat TAU is an incredible set.

One of the best flat screen TVs out there. When I was shopping for a good 32 inch flat screen TV, I started with Sony Wega, this one and few other brands (like JVC, Samsung). When I compared this one with wega (kept right next to each other), I liked picture on this one better. Images where crisper and brighter. Featurewise both sets were almost at par. (Including BBE sound, PIP, number of component outs and so on). This one is slightly cheaper than Sony but not by much ! I was watching travel channel programming the other day (South Florida beaches...) It was so much fun to watch on this TV! Sound is great as well !! If I have to complain about one thing, that would be design of remote control. Its too compact and some of the buttons feel too small. (May be I was used to my old Sony TV remote!) But this should be almost a non issue, given the fact you get universal remote with almost every VCR/DVD/Cable box these days. Plus, not to mention those hi tech universal remotes sold by sony under 100$. Overall 2 thumbs-up!

I returned the 1321 when its 2 head VCR component malfunctioned & I ordered instead the 1351. For an extra couple of dollars, the VCR is upgraded to a 4 head unit which greatly improves playback quality. Also, this unit in white is more attractive. I have appended my review of the 1321 below. **********************************************************
This is the perfect bedroom companion! The TV works beautifully, and the VCR is nicely integrated both on the set and via the remote. The adequate (but not great) FM tuner is a nice touch, and the alarm clock feature is wonderful, allowing you to get up to music or to TV. That it has a built-in battery source to counteract a power failure and an auto-time setting feature make it that much more secure when doing alarm clock duty. Overall, this is the Swiss Army Knife of small TVs.

Definitely this model is one of the best 4-Head Combination TV-VCRs I have seen this year. Panasonic traditionally makes excellent 13inch TVs. On a 13inch set the electron gun has a very short distance to aim and deliver a precise image against the phosphor screen. The electron gun can keep very accurate control. The closer the electron gun is to the back of the tube's screen gives it that control to deliver a good sharp picture. VHS tapes look very good. This compact unit has 4 Video Heads, Linear Sound, Commercial Advance and Index Search. Remote is included.

This TV-VCR is great, the picture quality is fantastic. THe AV plugs in the front are very convenient. The remote is pretty good, except that it is not backlighted. Another great feature of the TV-VCR is the NITE button on the remote. THis is for when one is watching the television at night or with no lights and thus the TV will become darker and it will not hurt one's eyes. THis feature is nto only great for one's eyes, but it also puts out a sharper image. THe only complaint i would have is that one of the heads on the VCR makes an audible grinding noise only when a movie is playing. It is fairly easy to drone out, but can be a pain. Overall, this TV-VCR by panasonic is fantastic and definately worth the very reasonable price!

i really like this product. its very cool. it saves a lot of space and the combination of TV and video is what i always have looked for. This model has a pleasing look and iam happy with its price.

When I decided that I wanted a new TV that included the convenience of a built in VCR, I price shopped around major electronic stores like Best Buy and Circuit City. I never thought I would make a major purchase of an electronic product over the Internet. A book, a CD, or a video tape sure but a TV? I don't think so. Oops! I was wrong. :) Amazon.com had the best selection for TV/VCR combos that I could find, and a price that matched or beat even "discount" chain stores. Amazon.com also had a return policy that seemed fair to me, so I decided to try this rather major Internet purchase. And, I'm glad I did...

Now, as to the TV itself, in case this posts in the wrong place I'll clarify that I'm commenting on the Panasonic PV-C2080 in black, which I received yesterday, I am really happy with it. The screen is 20" on the diagonal, which is round about 16" horizontal. I think it's the perfect size for a bedroom TV, which is what I'm using it for. I was concerned that I would need extra cables or another antenna for it like is recommended for some models, but I didn't at all. The only cable I needed was the antenna cable from my old TV that links it to the outdoor antenna.

It was so easy to use too! I just plugged it in, hooked it up to the antenna connection, put the batteries (that come with it) in the remote, and turned it on. The TV programmed itself. I selected the language I wanted (English, Spanish, or French), and then it found the channels and set the clock.

All of the options that it comes with are really nice, like the FM radio, sleep timer, and alarm clock. I can't wait to wake up to my favorite tape of music videos in the morning (by Type O Negative! Sorry... shameless plug). Well, I probably can wait to wake up, but at least it's not an alarm blaring in my ear. I'm still trying out all the features with the REALLY detailed operating instructions booklet, but I haven't found a single glitch as of yet. I was going to get another model originally, the PV-C2020, but for $100 more I also got a 4 head VCR, stereo sound, and an FM receiver. That's a lot of really nice extras that matter when it comes to quality. The sound is really great. I was impressed with the way it "fills" the room even with the volume low, and it's very clear. The picture is great as well, even with low quality VHS recordings, I could see the images as clearly as possible, and with professional recordings it's fantastic. The reception allows me to see stations I could barely see on my old TV with only a little 'fuzz' if any, and the popular network stations are as good as ever if not better. I am really happy with this, and if you're looking for a TV for a bedroom or dorm room, this would be an ideal choice.

Also, for the interior design conscious, the look is really subtle with no hard lines, and the black screen with the black paneled TV just blends in without being obtrusive at all. No matter where you put it, it will look like it belongs there. It wasn't too hard to move around either. I got it upstairs and on my dresser by myself--didn't even break a nail. :)

I was actually very surprised at the quality of the picture and the stereo sound when I first turned on the unit. This model has features not often found on TV/VCR combos, such as a 4-head VCR and stereo sound. The VCR is easy to program, and the remote control included with the set is quite good (it even controls my cable box). All in all a great value.