Video Reviews

This is a good deal if you need tapes and need a head cleaner

Panasonic pros: noticeably better picture, nicer remote, clean integration with the DVD player, built-in FM tuner, has (limited) channel labels, is name-brand, has nicer-looking black plastic cabinet.

Apex pros: lower price, flat screen picture tube, base/treble audio controls, S-video input.

You can download the product manuals from both manufacturers (the latter is at apexdigitalinc.com) and compare for yourself; like most consumer products, the manuals exist primarily to publish CYA disclaimers from the law firms of the manufacturers, not to actually help consumers.

A word about the channel labels in the Panasonic: there are 24 hard-coded labels from commonly-used stations like ABC, HBO, CNN. You have to first scan your cable for available channels, then you can associate a channel number for each of the labels. You can't define your own labels; you're out of luck if you want to label one of the lesser channels like FOOD, HGTV, E!, etc.; and 24 is a small number. This limitation, along with the lack of S-video connectors, leads me to believe this is an OLD Panasonic design. Still, when I went to Sears to check out the Apex, I found that its built-in menus lack channel labels entirely, and is even more bare-bones than this simple Panasonic set.

One other comment about this first generation of TV/DVD players: you can't play a CD or the FM tuner in the built-in unit while watching the TV. Bummer. I would like to be able to put in some music and perhaps watch the news (muted with closed-captions) and not have to listen to the TV's yammering. So it won't fully replace a CD player or stereo if you're hoping to do that (as I was, in an exercise room).

The Panasonic's audio-out is optical, which IMHO is a win over the Apex' coaxial audio-out. It seems that 5.1 receivers with multiple optical inputs are the wave of the future; I've only seen 1 or 2 coaxial inputs in most.

Bottom line: the Panasonic is a better unit but not better. And I'm surprised at the lack of S-video inputs.

One downside of these pure flat screen TV's is that they are H-E-A-V-Y. Make sure you get a heavy-duty TV stand that is rated for it's weight or you may find this weight crashing down on you or a loved one.

Personally, I prefer a separate DVD player so if it goes bad, you don't have to haul this heavy TV into the shop.

Compare to Sony Wega.