Jim*B

EDIT
I OFFICIALLY RESEND MY RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS PANASONIC TV! It has several flaws, which MAY be fixable, but I can't find the triggers in the service menu. Flaw #1 - BRIGHTNESS must be at maximum for 'good' calibrated picture, but because of flaw #2 (fluctuating black level), when you have a very dark scene or all-black screen, the blacks are way too bright. Flaw #2 also makes the black level in the picture visibly fluctuate as the aveage picture level changes due to moving images on the screen. The is also something else weird going on with the black level, because when viewing the black bar test patterns on Avia, at first you'll see the the moving black bars, but then they'll disappear into the background. BAD, BAD, BAD! And flaw #3 is severe vertical and horizontal edge enhancement that puts white lines around everything and gives the TV an overall hard,"digital" look. As a replacement, I picked up a Samsung TX-P2730 for $270 from Sam's Club. It doesn't suffer from any of the Panasonic's flaws. The only flaw I've seen so far on the Samsung are short (2-3" wide) horizontal lines, of varying thickenss along both sides of the screen. It took about a hour of viewing before I noticed them. If you keep brightness a tad below 'optimum' you can't even see them from more than a few feet away. I will probably try another one to see if it is 100% trouble-free, but even as is, it is MUCH better looking then the Panasonic, and is $30 cheaper! Oh yeah, not that it matters a whole lots to me, but the sound sux on the Samsung. So if good sound is important, look elsewhere.

They have the excellent Panasonic CT-27SC14 priced at $297! This is the price on the card under the display and on the box, BUT their website has it listed for $368! I don't know what is going on, but this is a great deal! Go here for my mini-review.

Dean_S

I don't care if Wally World is giving them away, I won't shop there EVER!!! I'd just assume do without before spending a penny of my hard earned money at a Wal-mart or Sam's club. I currently work for 2 companies that are vendors to wal-mart, I know how they operate and I consider them dishonest and dirty!!!

Jonathan Dagmar

amen, dean!

Tom Martin

can someone please explain this dislike towards wal mart?

Bill Will

Jim, Does the Panasonic have the 16:9 DVD Mode? And Please people let's not make it about Wal-Mart, who I really don't like either & let's just stick to the electronics. I would hate to see this thread turn into a Wal-Mart bashing thread instead of the tv's. Thanks.

Jim*B

Bill, I don't see any 16:9 mode. That is one advantage to the Sanyo TV in the post I referenced above. There may be one hidden in the service menu though. After watching the Pany a little more, I have 2 nitpicks with the picture. (1) - there is some sort of "edge enhancment" that puts thin white lies above and below objects in the horizontal plane, similar to how having the sharpness up too high adds white lines to edges in the vertical plane. I have sharpness at zero and SVM is off. (2) - the black level fluctuates too much. Now, a 'normal' person would probably never see these, but I do. The picture is still very good. I think both of these issues can be addressed through the service menu though. I'm going to play with one service mode setting called 'black level expansion' to see if it is what is causing the black level fluctuations.

Bill Will

Jim, I just noticed the difference in the model numbers between the "Regular" Panasonic CT-27SL14 & Wal-Mart's CT-27SC14 & I'll bet this is a model made for Wal-Mart & I'm wondering if the Wal-Mart model has a cheaper power supply in it because that might explain the fluation in the black level. The Wal-Mart version also has the old style Tau cabinet but the specs. all seem to be the same as the new CT-27SL14. If you have time it might be interesting to check out the CT-27SL14 & see if it too has the black level problem. As for myself I still think the JVC is the way to go seeing Panasonic owns JVC & from what I understand the Panasonic & JVC's are both made in the same plant in Mexico. The resaon I like the JVC is because it has the 16:9 DVD Mode, a 15 Watt Audio Amp. & better speakers plus it has a One Year Labor Warranty. If your unhappy with the Panasonic I would take a look at the JVC because the only thing the Panasonic has over it is Fixed & Variable Audio Outputs, the JVC is just Fixed, Settings for the Inputs & Labels for the Inputs but I'll take the 16:9 DVD Mode on the JVC over those features & if you fight with the dealers the JVC can also be had for under $300. So I still think I'm going to push my friend in to taking a look at the JVC & my friends who bought last years JVC FA44 are more than pleased with them especially because a small chain where I lived advertised them for $277.00 in the middle of the year & after they advertised that price if you went in & fought with them you could get the FA44 for that price.

Jim*B

I don't think the Pany has a weak power supply at all for 2 reasons - 1: looking at the needle pulse pattern on Avia, the 2 vertical lines are almost perfectly straight even at high contrast levels, and 2: looking at the overscan bounce test on Avia, the amount of overscan remains constant regardless of brightness. The Sanyo I had, had a weak power supply. The lines on the needles pulse pattern were badly bent at high contrast levels and the over scan bounce showed how the image size got bigger and smaller depending on brightness. Which JVC flatscreen is under $300?

As far as the 16:9 feature, it really doesn't matter for my needs. This TV is going in my small rear den. The kids will be watching it mostly, and they will most likely be using the zoom feature on the DVD player to blow the picture up on widescreen movies anyway

Bill Will

If your not looking for the DVD Mode & the power supply is ok your probably fine with the Panasonic. The model number on the JVC is AV-27F475 & JVC's list price is $399.95 & last years model AV-27FA44 list price was $429.95 & it was the FA44 that could be had in my area for $ 277.00 so I guessing you should be able to get the new AV-27F475 for under $300 if your willing to fight with the stores. I really don't know who has this model, I would guess Sears but at top dollar but you can fight with Sears on prices. I also saw that Circuit City has the 32" JVC AV-32F475 for under $500 so maybe they have the 27" model & it's just not up on their website. Again, though if you don't need the 16:9 Mode you probably better off keeping the Panasonic if your happy with it. Just wanted to add that with the Adjustable Picture Controls for the Inputs you might be better off with the Panny because you can adjust each input for color & etc for the kids & it might keep them from fooling with the color controls & etc.

StephenHa

that set is made exclusivly for the discount market, the circuit board is completely different than the regular line panny stuff (we liked to tear stuff apart and use schematics to compare) the reason the store is less is the website has to quote msrp the store doesn't, we had the ct27sl14 for about the same price

Bill Will

Thanks Stephen that's good to know & how about the Power Supply, are they the same in both sets?