The Panasonic 27" Flat Screen TV is a Beautiful, Sophisticated TV

I owned a cheap 25" and 17” TV for years, but recently I started needing features that I had originally skimped on. I needed more input jacks and wanted stereo (not mono) sound. At the same time, I didn't want to pour a ton of money into a television. After searching around, we found the Panasonic CT27SL13 27" Television at Circuit City, for around $350.00. (We ordered this TV online and literally went to Circuit City 5 minutes later to pick it up. It was ready to go at the customer pickup area, so I backed up the car, they loaded it in, and we were off. A great experience!)


Television Specs

Aspect Ration: 4:3 (Standard)
CRT Type: PureFlat
Lines of Resolution: 700
Digital Comb Filter: Motion-Adaptive 3-Line
Edge Correction: Horizontal/Vertical Edge Correction
Digital Velocity Modulated Scan
Fine Pitch Picture Tube
Color Temperature Control
Wideband Video Amplifier
Artificial Intelligence Sound
Bass/Treble/Balance Controls
BBE® High Definition Sound
Closed Caption On Mute
Speakers: 2, Watts Per Channel: 5W (10% THD)
Stereo/SAP with dbx NR, Surround Sound
A/V Input Jacks: 2 Rear, 1 Front
S-Video Inputs: 1 Rear
Component Video Inputs: 1
Headphone Jack
Audio Output: fixed/variable
UHF/VHF Inputs: 1
Auto Power On, Programmable Scan
Channel Banner, Labeling (with presets)
Clock and Sleep Timer
First Time Set Up
Game Gaurd
Menu: Multi Color Icon Menu, Language: English/Spanish/French Number of Channels: 181 Channel NTSC Tuner Parental Guidance (Channel Lock and Game Guard) Programmable On/Off Timer QuickScan Recall/RapidTune V-Chip Program Lockout Video Input Labeling, Picture Memory, Skip Energy Star Compliance Built-In Closed Caption Decoder Motion Adaptive 3-Line Digital Comb Filter Horizontal and Vertical Edge Correction Selectable Digital Velocity Modulated Scan Tilt Correction

Most of the features are self-explanatory, and range in their importance, of course, according to your personal preferences. One of the main reasons we chose this TV was because of the Inputs on the back of the TV. We have a computer set up to record our programs and a DVD player. We also have a VCR, but between the DVD player and the recorder, I can't remember the last time we used a VHS tape!

There's nothing "missing" that I feel like I need on this television. The only thing that I noticed would be nice to have (not critical) would be the picture-in-picture, but it honestly doesn't bother me. I'd forgotten all about it until I started writing this review, and I can't imagine that I would use it a whole lot. (I think I used it once when we had a digital recorder through the cable company).

I honestly don't use a lot of the functions. When we first got the TV, we went into the menus and set everything up the way we wanted. The pre-set features were actually pretty good (like color and so on), so we didn't make a lot of changes.


”Tau”

I wasn’t sure what the Tau symbol was all about, and here’s what Panasonic’s website says:

The T (pronounced "tau") is the crystallization of Panasonic's industry-leading technology, providing a level of viewing realism unlike anything you've ever seen before. It is also the 19th letter of the Greek Alphabet, and the name scientists have given to the last of the 12 known elementary particles believed to form all existing matter. Panasonic has chosen this letter for the new television series because its shape suggests the superior flatness and sharp picture quality of these new models. It represents the next generation of television, with a flat screen, high quality, realistic, outstanding picture performance and advanced digital technology that set high standards for others to follow..


Appearance

The dimensions of this TV are 23.2'' x 30.7'' x 19.8'', and it weighs 95 pounds. The front of the TV is silver, while the back is black. On the left and right sides of the screen, the casing has little holes in it for the sound output. Underneath the screen, there is a little "control panel", where you can control things like the power, channels, volume, etc. It also says "Panasonic" on it as well as "TAU" in the upper left-hand corner.

The TV isn't that deep, which is something I like, obviously because it saves space and is less bulky. One of the things I dislike about this TV is that there aren't really any places to get a grip on it, which meant some scary moments as we tried to haul this 95-pounder up a long flight of stairs! It would be nice if there were "pockets" built into the back plastic, so that moving would be a little easier. It wouldn't be that difficult of an addition to the product, but fortunately, moving isn't something that we do on a regular basis! And although this is heavy, the dimensions are nice, so it wasn't a bear to get into the car and maneauver it into the house, around corners, etc.

Overall, the TV is very sleek and modern in appearance. The silver color makes the TV look sleek, not bulky. The flat front makes it look great on the entertainment center, since all the edges are flush with one another.


The Remote

The remote is a "Lighted Disk Universal Remote". It is sleek and grey, with a large round button in the middle, which provides you with your most important features - volume and channel. Up near the top, you can switch between TV and DVD, etc, which of course, makes it a universal remote. This way, you can switch between various electronics without having to use so many different remotes.

The remote doesn't actually light up, except for a few buttons at the top, like "Power", which do light up in red as you push them. It would sort of be nice to have a remote that glowed/lit up, but then again, I rarely need that feature.

The nice thing about changing the volume is that the volume bar that appears isn't obnoxious. I've had TV where the bar obliterates half the picture, and then you can't wait for it to disappear, especially when it's blocking a caption on, lets say MSNBC. The volume level bar is a series of thin green lines, then the appropriate number that represents the level. It doesn't obscure half your show, but at the same time it is easy to see.


Sound

The sound on this TV is very nice. The speakers are built into the area around the right and left hand sides of the screen. After having a mono speaker TV, this is a nice change. The sound is clear and crisp, although the base is loud. I found myself turning the TV down when we were watching DVD's, because I was afraid the louder, heavier base sounds would disturb our neighbors! Fortunately, the base can be adjusted.

We also have speakers that we've set up - just small ones on the sides of the TV. They simply plug in to the back, and you're ready to go. I don't really think it is a vast improvement, but it's a little something extra.


Picture

This Panasonic Flat Screen TV is of course, flat, which minimizes distortion. Just looking at the flat glass, I like it. It is definitely an improved viewing experience, and the picture quality is beautiful. There are fewer reflections, and of course you get less distortion. The picture is vibrant and bright.

One thing I notice is that with the silver/grey exterior around the glass screen, it can accentuate the black area that runs around the edge of the glass screen. It doesn't look even, either - like it's wider on one side than another.

Another thing about the picture is that it seems blurry in the corners, especially with text. It isn’t horrible or noticeable enough to be bothersome.


My Thoughts

I really like this Panasonic Flat Screen TV. It is different from your generic TV, and better than the typical cheap ones that I have always had. I'm not a television connoisseur, and I don't know much about TV's, but this is a treat. I have really enjoyed watching this television, and it also looks great in our living room. And, it didn't cost a fortune - we simply put a little extra money into purchasing a 27" TV, and got a vast improvement from your basic models. Just about every visitor we've had has complimented us on this TV, and it has been a joy to have and watch.


Panasonic: www.panasonic.com