Customer Reviews

Panasonic TC-32LX50 32-Inch Flat Panel LCD TV

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've had this TV for a few weeks now and have no complaints at all. I researched small to midsize LCDs and plasmas pretty thoroughly, and so far I'm very happy I went with this Panasonic. Here are a few observations on some points you're probably familiar with if you've been reading reviews and stats:

LCD vs. Plasma: Some of the plasmas I saw were admittedly impressive. But for me the 42" minimum was a bit too big. And plasmas are real energy hogs: A 42-incher runs at well over 500 watts (compared with less than 150 for this LCD). That's a lot of heat to be pouring out for hours every day. Plasmas are also much more fragile. It's important to remember that LCD is a newer technology, and reviews from even a year ago may be misleading because of improvements since. That's particularly true of poor refresh rates -- not a problem with this TV.

Viewing Angle: If you move to the side significantly, colors will definitely start washing out, with the effect pretty noticeable at 45 degrees or so. I can see where that might be annoying for some people, but I was aware of that aspect ahead of time, and it doesn't bother me -- I have no trouble getting the TV and my butt lined up straight. Two people at either end of a couch with the screen 7 feet away or more will not notice any color drop-off.

Bad Pixels: This concerned me when I first read about LCDs, but it's been a complete non-issue. Don't know if I got lucky with a perfect screen or any dead ones are just unnoticeable, but either way, I'd say don't worry about it.

Contrast & Black: Maybe plasmas and conventional CRTs do crank out marginally deeper blacks, but again, it's not an issue. The picture is bright, sharp and vivid, and you simply won't find yourself saying, "Damn, I wish those blacks were blacker."

High Definition: Limiting a TV like this to standard definition is like buying a Corvette to drive around the Target parking lot. If you don't have access to HD or plan to get it soon, hold off on the purchase -- electronics all get cheaper with time anyway. But when you do go to HD, you won't be disappointed. The nature shows on Discovery HD are stunning. (BTW, most network prime-time shows and sports are available in HD now. Cable generally offers it, and Directv should beam it down by year's end; and your local network channels probably broadcast HD on UHF.)

Inputs: The flexibility of the multiple inputs on the set is great. You can hook up each component separately with the best connection it can use; e.g., HDMI for a high-def receiver, component video for a DVD player and A/V plugs for a VCR.

All in all, a great TV. I love it.

after reading the reviews, doing some research and seeing this TV up close, i decided to go for it. That was 2 months ago...So far its lived up to expectations. Easy setup and use, i purchased the HD tier channels from my local cable company. Although only 7 HD channels available, the picture on those are unbelievable. Everything they said about HD is true...Ive always been happy with the Panasonic Name Brand in video components, along with a couple JVC items also...Im glad i bought this tv,,,,Only thing i was bummed about was the rapid price drop in the past 2 months...All the major retailers (on line or real time) now selling this tv for 400 to 600 $$ less then i paid.....oh well,, hang in there a month or 2, maybe they will be giving them away!!

Reprinted from [...]:

It is amazing how much can change in the LCD TV industry in the blink of an eye. Less than a month ago we reviewed Panasonic's largest LCD offering, the TC-32LX20. A month later its replacement, the Panasonic TC-32LX50, is shipping. With the TC-32LX50 you'll have to blink your eyes a little faster not to miss a change in picture - the new Panasonic's response time is 14ms, beating its predecessor by a quick 2 milliseconds. Along with improved response time the replacement model includes other subtle changes to the screen. Panasonic scaled back the feature lineup on the newer model. Major changes were made to the TC-32LX20's controversial styling. We were universally impressed with both of the TVs. Picture, features, and value are all top-notch. We review the Panasonic TC-32LX20 LCD TV in-depth here, commenting on changes made in its replacement, the Panasonic TC-32LX50 LCD TV. Both TVs receive the same overall score, an impressive 95/100.

The Panasonic TC-32LX20 and TC-32LX50 LCD TVs are 32-inch offerings in the VIERA line of flat panel displays. The Panasonic VIERA line is direct competition with the AQUOS line from Sharp, the LCD king. Panasonic, which is heavily invested in building plasma displays, hasn't fallen behind Sharp in the LCD race. Panasonic's highly styled TC-32LX20-era VIERA plasmas and LCDs look like TVs out of the future, while the latest generation of Panasonics, including the TC-32LX50, and Sharp LCD models are staid in appearance. Both manufacturers' lines of displays are excellent and a consumer looking for a high-end HDTV built on LCD technology can't go wrong with either.

The Panasonic TC-32LX20's screen is surrounded by a dark black frame, which is in turn surrounded by silver plastic. The Panasonic TC-32LX20 LCD Television has speakers on the sides, where as the TC-32LX50's are located on the bottom. Panasonic reserves the space below the screen on the TC-32LX20 for a treasure trove of controls and inputs, including digital camera media card slots and composite RCA jacks. Panasonic lays a piece of tinted glass over the TC-32LX20's LCD screen area that overlaps the speaker bezels along the sides. The extra glass layer creates a sense of depth. The design is by no means orthodox. Like it or not, the TC-32LX20's design catches your eye and stands out from Sharp and Sony's offerings. Depending on your taste you may or may not be sad to see that for the TC-32LX50 LCD TV Panasonic went with a black frame and bottom mounted silver speakers for a more orthodox look. We suspect the TC-32LX20's radical design was Panasonic's attempt to scream for attention as it carved out early market share in the LCD market; the TC-32LX50 is gracefully styled to let you concentrate exclusively on the TV's picture, its best feature.

I just recently purchased this TV and upgraded to the HD receiver from my cable company and I am blown away by the picture quality this TV. Even standard cable looks good as long as you are at least 2 feet away from the screen. The sound I assume is good, but I run everything though my Panasonic home theatre. This TV is easy to set up I like how Panasonic puts the speaker at the bottom instead the sides. Overall great buy for the price!

I was very hesitant in spending the money I did for this TV but felt my best buy was on Amazon.com. I have terminal cancer and decided to go for broke in spending the money. I have really enjoyed everything about this TV. The picture quality is excellent, sound is great and it had all the extras I was looking for in this size.

Bought My Panasonic TC-32LX50 on 12/17/06 and 1 year & 1 month later my screen blacks out. I tried to see if it had something to do with my Directv box and it's all in the T.V. Can't believe that 1 year and 1 month later my T.V gives out on me and now they are quoting me $45-75 diagnostic fee and they stated that it might cost me more than $1000 just to get it repaired. Unbelievable!!! My mistake was not to get insurance and now I am paying the price!!! So don't be fooled and do not go buying Panasonic. I seriously regret not going for Sony!! Now I don't know what to do because it's going to cost me a pretty penny. Does anyone have any suggestions or maybe some advise in a situation like this. I'm not going to spend a ton of money to get this t.v fixed. It is not worth it...I might end up having some other kind of problem later down the line. So all of you who were considering Panasonic...be aware, be very aware!!! and think twice before buying Panasonic.

Purchased this TV for $1829.69 at a Circuit City on 9/2/05. Almost exactly one year later (suspiciously close to the warranty termination date) we started noticing lines/bands on the left side of the screen while viewing shows (all channels). This was in September of 06. It is now October and now when we turn the set on the TV only shows lines that look like lines on a map for 10 minutes and then the picture appears.

We took it to a Panasonic servicenter (Elwin Electronics in Warwick, RI) and were told $1700 to fix - but they could NOT tell us what the problem was... "doesn't matter, whatever it is, you need a new panel - it is all one unit". No no no - this is unacceptable. So I called Panasonic...

WOW - what a convoluted runaround! Spent HOURS calling them... one department sent me another who sent me to another. NO ONE was willing to take accountability and I was thrown into an endless loop.

The takeaway? STAY AWAY from this TV... and THINK HARD about doing business with Panasonic. Their "customer service" is all but non-existant. You can, however, spend many HOURS listening to nice voice prompts... that lead NOWHERE.

I purchased this LCD new in Oct. I had problems with the picture immediately. A tech came out and could not fix the problem by inserting a new board. Next the TV set "died" no power, picture or sound. Panasonic customer service is awful, awful,awful. I have tried repeatedly to get the set replaced to no avail. I have called time and time again and received nothing but the run around. I am now waiting for a power board to come in. It will take 30 additional days. I have owned a $1,700 for 5 months and it has worked for 30 days. Panasonic customer support is a joke!!!! I would not purchase any Panasonic product again. I would suggest buying a company that stands behind their product. If anyone wants a more detailed review feel free to contact me. @ auciello@tampabay.rr.com

I gave the TC-32LX50 3 stars simply based on the one I played with in Circuit City. I feel like a bit of a fraud because this is not so much a review as a question: What's the difference between the TC-32LX50 and TC-32LX20? I'm concerned the TC-32LX50 may not be true HD ... not once do I see "HDTV ready", only some waffle about "capable of showing ..." ... anyone clarify?