Another quality Panasonic product
Written: Jul 13 '01
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Pros: PanaBlack screen, 2nd Tuner PIP, 3 sets of inputs, feature loaded, great audio!
Cons: Size and weight. You'll need some space for this baby.
The Bottom Line: For a large tv with a sharp screen, plenty of features and the rock solid quality and reputation of Panasonic, the CT-27D30 is a set to check out.
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| sounddude's Full Review: Panasonic CT-27D30 27 inch TV |
As a professional in the film and television business, I just have to have quality televisions in the house. So when I've had to buy sets in the past, I've always spent a little more to have good quality which meant buying either Sony or Panasonic. But Sony, as good as they may be, are over priced. You pay about 20% to 30% just for the Sony name and even though we use mostly Sony in the broadcast world, the Panasonic consumer line is just as good as the Sony consumer line and a lot cheaper.
So when lightning took out the old tv in the master bedroom, my wife and I went shopping. We ended up at Circuit City which was having a great sale and always guarantees the lowest prices or they will meet and beat their competitor's prices.
There were alot of sets to choose from including Sonys but the winners on the block were all from Panasonic. For the same price as a Sony without 2nd tuner PIP, we got a Panasonic WITH 2nd tuner PIP and a ton of other features. There are so many features on this set that I can't list them all. Some of the best are the three sets of inputs and outputs. You have the standard 75 ohm cable/antenna input; there is an input which accepts either line video and audio or S-video; and then a separate input using Digital component Y, P/b, and P/r ins. On top of that, there is another complete line input on the front of the set.
The casing is a dark matte charcoal color and very attractive. The screen is virtually flat and almost glare free. The remote is fairly easy to use even though not as intuitive as I would like. Set up is easy and there are a lot of variables to play with including a host of audio set ups like Mode, Bass, Treble, and Balance. AL Sound automatically adjusts the volume to maintain a comfortable listening level. Surround enhances the response in stereo. VAO is Variable Audio Output and lets you turn your set speakers off and will adjust the volume sent to an external amplifier with speakers.
The menu can be read in English, Spanish or French (but not German for some reason) and you can set the Closed Captioning to come on when you mute the sound, like when you have to take a phone call.
There are a variety of timers that will turn the set on, or off, or on and off, etc. You have the standard video adjustments plus a color temperature adjustment which is similar to the settings we use on broadcast equipment. When a broadcast camera is set up for a shot, we use what is called the white balance adjustment to set the color temperature, or the electronics, of the camera. Where the brain automatically adjusts to varying changes in light, the camera can not and must be manually adjusted. These settings can also be used for special effects or picture manipulation such as warming up a shot or using outdoor light as a background to an indoor shot under tungsten lights.
Sound confusing? Well the Color Temp feature on the 27D30It lets you adjust the white balance to Cool (which is more blue) Warm (which adds red), or Normal. A nice feature to have on a consumer set considering the visual changes that can happen to a signal as it goes through your local cable system.
The tuner has Channel Scan which lets you select up to 16 favorite channels to automatically scan. You can enter channel numbers and captions manually as well as label video connections for on screen display of optional equipment.
This set comes with the V-CHIP Parental Lock which has a lot of different variables you can set. A nice feature.
The 2nd tuner PIP is a really handy option to have since you don't have to use your VCR as the second tuner. I've gotten vary spoiled using the PIP during commercials to watch something else while I'm waiting for the commercial break to end. Instead of having to bounce back and forth to try to catch the next start of the show, you just use the special buttons to change the PIP channel to what you were watching, then surf until you find something else to watch until your show starts up again and never miss a moment of action. It's worth the extra $50 over regular PIP.
The last feature I want to point out is the PanaBlack screen. It's very dark and attractive when the set is off. Turn it on and the PanaBlack screen provides a sharp viewing surface with great contrast and vivid colors without softness or bleed. This allows longer viewing with less eye strain and fatigue.
I've owned many a product made by Panasonic including several televisions and can attest to their quality and value. You really can't go wrong with a set made by Panasonic. I currently have three and probably won't buy anything else in the future.
So if you're looking to step up to a large tv with lots of features for a great price, check out the Panasonic CT-27D30. And happy viewing!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 399.00
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Epinions.com ID:
sounddude
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Member: Rockin' Rob
Location: Florida
Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Production sound mixer for film & television, published reviewer & writer, (Chuck Norris lookalike).
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