Customer Reviews

Panasonic TC-L32X2 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV with iPod Dock

5 star:		(127)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I bought three new 32-inch LCD TVs in one week, and returned the first two because of faulty video inputs. The third TV I bought is this high-quality, Panasonic TC-L32X2 TV, which was just released in February 2010. My experience enabled me to compare three similar TVs, giving me good insight to write this review.

I initially bought two other 32-inch LCD TVs; a Vizio VO320E and a Sony BRAVIA BX 300 Series (model KDL-32BX300). I returned both of them because of identical video input problems. I connected two different brands of DVD players to each TV, and when I played DVDs, there were alternating horizontal stripes of discoloration on the screen, indicating a problem with the video inputs on the TVs. I returned both TVs to the retailer because both of these DVD players worked perfectly on two other TVs in my house, including a one-year-old Panasonic plasma.

Then I bought the Panasonic TC-L32X2 TV listed here. After the initial setup, the first thing I tested was the video output from a DVD player, and was relieved to find that the video was crisp and clear, with no stripes of discoloration like on the other two TVs. Then I flipped through the channels from a direct cable TV input (no cable box), and the TV output was excellent as well, and definitely better than the other two TVs that I had to return. Also, the build of the TV was noticeably of higher quality than the other two TVs. The remote has plenty of features, and is not cheap (like the ones that came with other two TVs).

This Panasonic TC-L32X2 TV comes with one cable TV input, one set of component video inputs (red/blue/green video and red/white audio), two sets of composite video inputs (red/white/yellow), three HDMI inputs, a PC input, an iPod dock with connector cable and rear input, an SD camera card input, and a Dolby digital audio output.

I bought this TV so that I could have a TV and stereo in one, instead of having to purchase both. Honestly, the feature I was most excited about was the iPod dock, and everything else was just gravy. After a few weeks of owning the TV, though, I can so with absolutely no reservations that this is a superb set.

The ipod dock was a very important feature to me, and the reason I chose this set over others. I have not been disappointed in it yet. It has a very easy-to-navigate menu, and the sound quality is excellent, even when played at lower volumes. The fact that it can play the videos that I have stored on the ipod is a bonus, as well. The picture isn't HD-quality when playing video from the ipod, but it's certainly passable enough to sit down and watch a movie that way. Plus, it's great to use a remote to control an ipod - very cool, in my opinion.

The picture quality itself is nothing short of fantastic. Although it is "only" 720p, I would say that it rivals/bests many pricier sets with 1080p. The image has never been anything short of amazing, and I say this with it only hooked up to an antenna! My father, who loves televisions and high definition, couldn't stop staring and exclaiming over the image quality.

My Nintendo Wii games look great on the TV - very bright, bold colors, and never a hint of striping or bleeding, as in some other TVs. The integrated SD card reader has already come in handy a few times, and the pictures look stunning when blown up. The remote, also, is a big plus - it has everything very clearly marked, and makes navigating the TV and menus even easier.

I am incredibly happy with my choice, and have already recommended this set to a number of friends. Especially for the price, this quality can't be beat!

I absolutely love this televison. At such a low price I did not expect too much but it arrived within only two days (that's with the free shipping too!) and was amazing! The only complaints I have are that the base collects dust very easily, and also when assembling make sure you have a very long thin screwdriver or else it'll be quite a battle putting this thing together. Other than that, I love this tv and set up was a breeze!

**Please note that I am reviewing the TC-L32X2. I feel obliged to mention this because in some cases, Amazon has migrated the reviews of a particular product to the newer version's page. I just want to avoid confusion--and snippy comments.**

After 18 years with a 25" RCA tube TV, I finally stepped up to HD. After three months of watching (and complaining about) the inconsistent picture quality of a previous HDTV purchase (Sylvania LC320SLX 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV), it's a real pleasure to watch a quality TV with correct color reproduction and black levels that aren't overwhelming.

Great picture out of the box, even from extreme angles; so far I've only upped the brightness. When I get some time, I'll use Video Essentials to set everything correctly. My wife claimed that the previous TV looked fine to her, but after just two days with this TV she commented, "The picture is really clear." She was watching "Sex and the City" on Showtime HD and remarked that she could now see all the details in one of Carrie's jackets, when before she thought it was all black. She also commented on the incredible detail in A Bug's Life on DVD. (Watching all my son's Pixar DVDs has become an absolute joy.)

For me the test was Breaking Bad on AMCHD, and although the show's palette tends toward dark and greenish, it's far better than the Sylvania I replaced. After having watched an episode of Cougar Town, however, I'm beginning to believe that broadcast TV is a crapshoot in terms of proper color balance. DVDs are far more consistent. Speaking of which, I want to revisit a lot of my favorite movies now that I can watch them on a bigger, wider, clearer screen than I've ever had before. (Update 6/26/10: I just hooked up a new JVC XVBP11 Blu-ray Player and the detail and clarity is just stunning. You can often find me standing slack-jawed in the middle of the living room. Every day I love my TV a little more.)

My wife absolutely loves the iPod dock and the ability to control the iPod with the TV remote; I'd love it if my album artwork showed up on the screen. Sound levels from the built-in speakers seem anemic, but since this TV will eventually go into the bedroom, I'll live with it. Oddly, output levels seem OK when using the cable box, but very low when using the Blu-ray player (each uses its own HDMI input). That brings me to my one major beef about the set: Although it has three HDMI inputs and various other component/composite inputs, it has no external RCA output (only optical and Viera Link, whatever that is), so I can't hook it up to either my non-optical receiver or my wireless headphone transmitter.

Overall, though, I'm very happy with this purchase, and will definitely consider a Panasonic Viera for our next (bigger, higher-resolution) HDTV. What blows my mind is that this TV cost about the same as my 25" RCA did back in 1992. For what it's worth, I took the RCA to Goodwill; as far as I know it's still alive and kicking.

Update 7/31/10: I discovered the hard way that there are no USB inputs. We have a Flip Video camera and I would really like to hook it to the TV so we can watch our videos, but there's no USB port (well, it wasn't important until now). I tried running it through the Blu-ray player, but that was a no-go. And I can't use my iPod because Flip videos won't play on it. Grr.

Update 1/1/11: Fifteen or so minutes after turning the TV on, the sound would distort, like a static-y echo. (See video.) Turning the TV off and on or changing the input fixed it, but it got to be so annoying that today I called Panasonic for service. They seemed to know exactly what I was talking about and said they'll be sending an SD card with a firmware update. As soon as I got off the phone, I downloaded the firmware update from their website and installed it per the instructions. Still happy with my TV; not very happy with Panasonic support: I never got the promised SD card.

Update 4/14/11: In early March I purchased a Panasonic VIERA TC-P42S30 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV and put this unit (and my Apple TV 2) in the bedroom (about a 10-foot viewing distance); this TV still gets more use than the plasma. Because I didn't have time to skip through all the chapters of Video Essentials, I used the test patterns from the Sony Blu-ray of Moon to adjust the brightness, color and tint. (I also set the sharpness to 0.) I didn't touch the back light or contrast settings (which were +5 and -5 from Standard, respectively). Everything looks fantastic.

I have no major complains about this TV, just praise in general. It is ergonomically pleasing, its remote control and operations are extremely friendly (as with most other Panasonic products I buy). The image produced in HD is really good. Initially the sound was much different to what I was used to in regular TV's but eventually I got used to it. If I would have the necessary space I'd have bought a set of speakers and base, as this would surely make a huge improvement in sound.
For what it costs is a great deal.

This Panasonic TV has a great, clear picture. The 720p is perfectly fine for a 32 inch. I looked at plenty of TVs before I purchased this one. It was very easy to set up & the price was right!

Ok, let me just say that I returned two of these to Amazon before finally settling on a different model. And I know what people might think: that i am just an impossible to please, really picky kind of guy. That is far from the case, in fact, it might be the opposite, with me often settling for something I am not 100% on board with. But like I said, I don't think this is the right TV for me, even though i can certainly recognize that it was a pretty decent set. Let me give you the pros and cons that ultimately led me to my decision

PROS:

-East to set up

-Easy to use and configure menu

-Sound was pretty good, despite some bad reviews

-Picture quality was above average, though some channels seemed grainy( it wasn't the channels, since this was not an issue on other TVs in the house)

-Though I had no plans to use it often, I did play with the iPod dock a bit and thought it was pretty cool.

-3 HDMI outputs. Most similar models have only 2. This was a big plus, since I would be using it for TV, Blu Ray, and some Gaming. With 2 outlets, I would have to switch each time I used my console.

-AV Game Mode for gaming

CONS:

-Horizontal Banding on both units I tried. For those unfamiliar with the term, what it is is basically uneven backlight distribution. It is very a very common problem with almost all LCDS. Often it is minor or not even noticeable. It is difficult for the backlight to get every pixel to light up at exactly the same brightness. So sometimes, a band of them will be slightly less bright or slightly more. This is often unnoticeable, and when it is, it is usually against certain colors during camera panning. With me, I noticed it most when watching hockey. When ever the camera moved up and down, i can see clear slightly darker than the screen lines going from side to side against the ice. It could get pretty annoying. It's one of those things you might not notice, but once you do, it is impossible not to.

-Very few preset color scheme settings. Essentially, you only had Standard, Cinema, and Vivid. To me Vivid is unwatchable, just way to bright, so it was two. You had a custom mode as well, but I'm not too good at calibrating it. It would always be something wrong with it, so I stuck with Standard. There was also a Game mode, but the color settings were the same as Standard. By comparison, the 32 inch 720p LG model had Standard, Vivid, Sport, Cinema, and Game, 2 Custom, as well as a Picture Wizard Program that helped you calibrate it.

- Seemed very shaky and jittery. During a lot of slow camera panning, the characters and items on the scree appeared to shake and jitter a bit. I know this is somewhat normal, but it seemed to be more prominent on this TV. It got to the point where It was actually a bit hard on the eyes, This was ultimately the reason that made me return it. You could decrease it significantly bu lowering the sharpness to single digits, but that made the picture look kinda bad.

So there ya have it. I could have dealt with the banding and the lack of color schemes and even the jitter. but with all three issues present, I just decided another Model would be best for me. I still do think this is a decent TV and gives good value for the price and have no ill will towards Panasonic, but it wasn't right for me. Hopefully this helps those making a decision.

The TV was nice when it worked. Now, after 3 months the screen goes black without warning and can't be turned back on with remote or manual button. The only way to get the picture back is to unplug. Even doing so, the picture will only be on for another 20 minutes before the screen goes black again.

Worse than the problem itself is the HORRIBLE and SHAMEFUL Panasonic customer service!! To get a live person to talk to on the support line is a feat in itself. Their authorized service tech took 3 weeks to get the part, replaced it, and the TV worked for the brief time he was here. Next day, we tried to use the set and the same thing happened all over again. I called customer service and, after 25 minutes and 3 transfers, I finally got a live person to speak with. I requested an exchange for new set vs. another round of repairs since the TV is obviously defective. I was told the case would have to be review and that would take 3-5 days. Utter NONSENSE!

Where is consumer protection on warranties?

Panasonic takes its customers' money and runs. Plain and simple. SHAMEFUL! DON'T BUY PANASONIC!

I am VERY pleased with this purchase. im very picky and even more so indecisive so i spent toooo much time researching, comparing, etc. and this was definately the best choice.(for me anyway). the price was more than reasonable. picture clarity is very nice, not to mention the ipod dock that came with it...the ONLY negative id say about this tv is the sound. it could definately be a louder and richer. even at the highest level, my old "tube-tv" surpassed it at just over half of its volume....the sound is decent though and the positive far outweights the negative. i would recommend this tv to ANYBODY on the market for one. GREAT BUY!!!!

I ordered this tv to replace a 20 year old one that I was playing xbox on. I love it not just for the gaming but the other features also. the sd card reader and the ipod dock are a great couple of add ons for a tv. its very easy to use and the menus are very user friendly. I ordered it from abt electronics and received it in 4 days. The picture is excellent. I just had to tone down the picture a little while gaming cause it was a little too sharp. but the adjustments were easy to do. I recommend it to anyone.