32" LCD, 720p, PC input, 2 HDMI, Dynamic contrast ratio 10,000:1, Viera Link
Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #668 in Consumer Electronics
- Color: black
- Brand: Panasonic
- Model: TC-L32C12
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 20.20" h x 31.50" w x 3.50" l, 28.90 pounds
- Display size: 32
- 1366 x 768 Resolution
- Dynamic contrast 10,000:1 for the brightest whites and darkest blacks
- 2 HDMI inputs
- Viera Image Viewer, enjoy your photos on the big screen via SD card
- PC Input for computers
first flat screen, glad I waited to buy!
This TV was just recently released as of the time of this review, and it's one of the best TVs under $500 you can find on the market. I did a LOT of research looking for what I wanted in a TV. I've been wanting a nice flatscreen for a while now. I've been holding out as and quality has been improving while prices have been dropping. I finally settled on this Panasonic.
I wanted a TV for primarily movies (Hi Def and standard or upconverted Def) and video games (Hi Def and standard def). I do not have a cable subscription and am not interested in HD cable services. That being said, I also wanted a TV that would double as a humongous PC monitor. I'm pleased to say this TV meets and exceeds my needs so far. It's a big upgrade from the 20 inch tube TV I was using before the VIERA.
The LCD TV is nice looking and has a variety of cable inputs. Both the remote and menu systems are top-notch and useful. This TV puts out true 720p resolution and has 4:3 ratio (standard, full-frame) and zoom scaling as well. For TVs 32 inches and under, 1080p (while nice) is not necessary, as you'd be hard pressed to notice a dramatic difference with your HDMI or component sources. The picture is super sharp, and the image control available with this TV is pretty impressive. You can really play with the picture and color. I was laughing at the ability to essentially reproduce that 60's Technicolor supersaturation if you want. It really brings films to life. You can make up to 4 preset color choices, too- One for films, one for sports or live action TV, one for video games, one for kid's cartoons, etc, etc.
There is 1 stuck pixel on the TV. This is to be expected, and is not noticeable unless you're looking for stuck or dead pixels from about 18 inches away. I cannot see the pixel when watching, though, only when I'm up close on the screen. This is not an issue at all. You cannot pick out 1 dead pixel on a TV of this resolution. 1 out of over 1 million pixels, the rest are flawless.
I've just gotten this, and haven't fully tested all the bells and whistles, like the SD card port or the VIERA Link HDMI software (waiting for 1080p media player, coming in the mail). PC to TV was effortless and looked great. Even my old PS2 looked pretty good, albeit jaggy. I think that's more the game than the TV, though.
I almost went and got a $300 or $375 no-name tv at Walmart or Target, but I'm glad I paid a bit more for a higher-quality product. This Panasonic is really, really, well built, and is a near-perfect 32 inch TV. I'm more than happy with my purchase. As I test it out more, I plan to update this review, but so far, I'm loving it! This Panasonic is a great TV at an affordable price point, and 32 inches is perfect for most small to medium sized rooms.
Also, if you have any specific questions, post 'em and I'll do my best to answer.
**UPDATE**
I've had the TV for a while now and still love it. I got an upconverting Sony DVD player (model DVPNS710HB ) that puts out 480p, 720p, and 1080i upconverts of standard DVDs. I bought a $3 HDMI cable from buy.com (skip the $100 monster cables, trust me) and the picture is fantastic. The trick is that since the TV displays 720p, by switching the DVD player to send the data in 720p, you get a native resolution that lets the image look its best on the TV. While the TV has a scaler built in, having the DVD player scan and scale and then transmit via HDMI produces a signifigantly clearer picture. Some of the DVDs I have that were shot on digital video look very, very close to HD programming. My digitally remastered James Bond DVDs also look signifigantly better than through a component DVD player. I was impressed.
As for the other features- the SD card reader is too slow for my tastes. It takes a few seconds to load each picture. Of course, I have a VGA connector hooked up, so its much more convenient to load the pictures to my PC and view them thru windows. HQ images look AMAZING on this TV, though. I had always shot digital pictures at high resolutions, but couldn't really see them as they were meant to be seen, only having a 15 inch LCD. With the new TV as my monitor, my pictures now look 100 times better.
Another cool feature- through Viera Link, the HDMI Sony DVD player works with the Panasonic remote- no programing needed. I simply went into the Viera Link menu and selected the HDMI DVD player, now my DVD player will start and stop when I power on the TV and I can control it all from my TV remote. Very cool.
I'll post some more updates if I have anything else to say or if anyone has any questions.
panasonic lcd tv
The Panasonic Viera C12 series, 32 inch tv is my first lcd tv. I have had a flat screen crt tv from sharp for about 4-5 years. the Sharp tv was great for what it was and have only good things to say about it, but it was getting old, occupied too much space and wanted a slick LCD. My girlfriend has an 37 inch LCD from Samsung and i have to say i was never too impressed with it so i wanted a different brand. I got the Panasonic for under $500 which was absolutely great and i am extremely satisfied. Firstly i have to say that the picture quality is better than the Samsumg and it has great features. I have only basic cable but i do get some hd channels which look fantastic. Also i love the fact that you can easily turn the tv screen to a giant computer screen by hooking one cable up to your computer. I tend to watch some european soccer online and being able to see it on the tv screen was one thing i was looking for in a LCD. THe TV also has this cool feature where you can put in a digital camera memory stick and it will show all the pics on the tv. While this is not a reason in itself to buy it, it is a nice add-on when you want to check out how pictures look without having to download them on the computer first. Also i find the menu of the tv quite easy, simple and very user friendly.
I am very happy with the purchase from a quality & price perspective and would recommend this .
Great Picture
I recently bought this TV and I am totally satisfied with it. The picture is absolutely beautiful.
This set is used in my bedroom and receives over the air signals. I have an amplified antenna and the reception on this set is much better than what I received with my old 20 IN Panasonic with rabbit ears. I don't intend to connect a DVD player to this set since I have one with my other set in the family room, and I haven't tried to use a SD memory card yet.
I just love the picture on this set.
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