120 of 123 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent TV
Bottom line, this TV is currently ranked the 3rd best 32inch TV according to consumer reports, only behind the much more costly Samsungs, but ahead of the more costly Sonys. Tier one brand, great price, buy with confidence.
My TV situation: stood in the corner of formal living room, designed not to dominate room, used a few hours a day.
My TV viewing:...
30 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
Great picture, disappointing sound
I got this tv at an amazing price - about $630 but actually ended up returning it... The picture was beautiful but I was disappointed in the sound. Like the other reviewer, I had to turn the volume all the way to the top to catch conversations. This may not be an issue if you have speakers - I didn't. I ended up spending quite a bit more and getting an LG. The picture...
This review is from: Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-L32S1 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
Bottom line, this TV is currently ranked the 3rd best 32inch TV according to consumer reports, only behind the much more costly Samsungs, but ahead of the more costly Sonys. Tier one brand, great price, buy with confidence.
My TV situation: stood in the corner of formal living room, designed not to dominate room, used a few hours a day.
My TV viewing: general TV, casual films (no gaming or surround sound serious cinema).
My TV source: digital antenna/OTA/ATSC (no cable or sat) via Tivo HD, plus Netflix and Amazon video on demand.
I was shopping to replace my old 27inch CRT TV and a 32inch LCD is a perfect size for that. There is a bewildering choice out there. In a big box store I honestly could not tell the difference between the many manufacturers. Reading user reviews on line was ultimately a waste of time as someone always has a complaint or some unique need or set up.
I made my choice for this TV because of 1) the excellent professional reviews by consumer reports 2) brand quality reputation, 3) great amazon price, 4) clean case design 5) good number of inputs.
The picture by the way is excellent without modifications, bright, clear, viewing angle is not an issue.
Considerations: I technically probably didn't need a 1080p TV, 720p would have been fine as most TV signals are that, and I would not see the benefit at my viewing distance at 10+ ft, but this TV gives me flexibility to use with higher quality sources like HD downloads, gaming consoles or as a PC monitor in future. This 1080p model was also not much more expensive than a 720p model.
I wasn't sold on on the added cost for 120Hz for my needs: 120Hz does not seem to matter for TV signals, only 24fps movies, and if you're into serious cinema you're probably not looking at 32inch :-)
Sound on this TV, like most 32inch TVs, is from 2x10w speakers, and is absolutely fine for a living room and casual viewing, I have not had to go above 50/100 on the volume level.
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This review is from: Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-L32S1 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
Pros
-good quality IPS panel, a superior LCD technology generally used in just a few premium computer monitors. Panasonic, NEC, and Apple are among the only manufacturers who guarantee IPS panels. Few other TV makers use them and even when they do, companies such as Samsung, Dell, LG have been known to swap them for inferior cheaper panels after initial positive reviews are published.
-less than a single frame of input lag with progressive sources, and a good quality de-interlacer which adds merely a single frame of lag, making this one of the best gaming TVs for ANY price.
-horizontal and vertical viewing angles are nearly as good as CRT and plasma, no color shifting
-saturated and accurate color (when calibrated), crisp and bright, no banding of gradients, no loss of detail in shadows or highlights, extremely rare for an affordable television
-S-Video, Component, Composite, and 3 HDMI inputs, both digital and analog audio outputs
-1920x1080 signal can be displayed 1:1 with no cutting off of the edges, such as from a PC with a DVI-HDMI cable
-a wide variety of VGA input timings are supported
Cons
-VGA input resolution limited to 1280x1024
-diagonal viewing turns blacks gray (just make sure the TV is placed at eye level to get the ideal wide viewing angles)
-the speakers are somewhat weaker than other similar TVs
-only Cinema mode (with brightness at 50 and Contrast at 100) has reasonably accurate color, the other modes make color changes that are not user accessible.
-fluorescent backlight gives slightly bluish "Normal" color temp, "Warm" looks best
-the black levels are good enough, but not remarkable
-colored text is slightly fuzzy even at 1:1 pixel resolution due to subpixel font rendering techniques of OSX and Windows (still readable and better than turning subpixel smoothing off, but this TV is not ideal for use as a full time web/productivity computer monitor, it is perfect for a media PC however)
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This review is from: Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-L32S1 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
I started out on my venture to purchase a new gaming TV (mainly for my PS3). My old set was a 27" Samsung CRT that had some really bad coloring and geometry issues. I finally got fed up and decided to start looking around for a 1080p LCD that would fit into my existing entertainment cabinet. After reading a bunch of reviews online, I discovered this horrible affliction that all LCD TVs experience - Input Lag. Generally, if a TV has a good/great picture (Sony and Samsung), it has more input lag. If you want a TV with low input lag, the picture won't be as good. As mainly a gaming TV, I decided to try to find a TV set with great input lag numbers with a good picture. After hearing how well previous Panasonic models were for gaming, I decided to get this TV.
Well, I couldn't be more satisfied with my purchase! Not only is the input lag very low but the picture quality is quite good. The colors are very good, but the blacks aren't as good as a Samsung or Sony. Mind you, I haven't had much time to go diving into the color/service menus to fine tune the display. Also, I cannot rate how well it handles SD signals as everything I've used it for have been 1080i/p native. Yes, the sound volume from the TV is pretty bad, as most reviewers have mentioned. But this is a non-issue if you have a receiver to hook it up to.
PROs
Excellent input lag
Good picture quality
Great price (Thanks Amazon!)
Great input select menu (press input and then hit 1-8 to immediately go to the input you want)
Very attractive design with a non-gloss screen
Lots of input options including 3 HDMI
CONs
Weak speakers
Only 1 component input*
*I had my PS2 and TiVo HD hooked up through component on my old TV. On this TV I had to go buy another HDMI cable just to have them both hooked up at the same time.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with this TV. If you are reading this and are looking for a great 32" gaming TV, do not hesitate to buy this TV!
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This review is from: Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-L32S1 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
I removed my CRT 32" Toshiba from it's TV cabinet while I was doing some flooring in my home. I forgot just how darn heavy and bulky these old school TVs can be. I decided at that moment that I would replace it with something more modern, and lighter. This 32" tv out of the box looked so much smaller, in height, than the previous one that I was concerned it was too small for my needs, it turns out it wasn't. The picture on the other hand, was absolutely brilliant in HD mode. Rich, vibrant colors that makes my bedroom Element HD TV look poor in comparison. Audio quality is pretty good, very clear. Not very good low frequency sound but very good nonetheless. No probs with the connections and a good intuitive menu. The only prob., and it's not really a prob, is running an audio cable to my surround sound audio system. It requires a single digital optical audio cable. Last time I tried one of those cables on a different system, I wasn't pleased with the audio quality (ie tinny sound) so we will see how this one sounds once connected.
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This review is from: Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-L32S1 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
This is a fine television. Yes the audio seems a little low but I'm getting older so that maybe the problem with that. The picture is outstanding and the colors are beautiful. The value for the dollar speaks for itself on Panasonic TV's. I'm happy with this TV.
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This review is from: Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-L32S1 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
The Panasonic TC-32S1 is a great tv for a great price. I have had the tv for about two weeks now. I have a Mac Mini serving up DVDs, Hulu, Netflix and some other video streams as well as recordings using the HD Homerun from Silicon Dust, and it all looks great. I also have a Wii hooked up with component, and it is the one source that doesn't look as good as I expected. Some of the anti-aliasing looks jagged on the Mii's but it's not a deal breaker. The tv has independent calibration setting for each input, which is a huge plus over many of the competitors for this size and price category.
I sit about 8ft from the screen, and the picture looks beautiful, even on content with compression artifacts. One third of one pixel is stuck, but it can't be seen more than 2ft away from screen. The IPS screen is great, I can see the screen from all areas of the living room, though if you are standing (often while playing Wii) you do loose a bit of the contrast, but the further you move back from the screen, the better the viewing angle and so the better the picture performance. Also, we have a lot of ambient light from the many windows, and the screen is very clear and visible even with direct sunlight.
The SD slot is a nice feature, but it is only setup to play back picture files and update the firmware (however, the SD card must be formatted with proprietary software from Panasonic and only works with Windows XP and Vista).
All in all, it is a great tv. I would recommend for someone who is hooking up to a computer (but use an HDMI or DVI-HDMI connection if you want full 1080p resolution).
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This review is from: Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-L32S1 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
The Panasonic TC-L32s1 is a 32" viera 1080p LCD HDTV. It offers the best picture quality and aesthetics I've seen in the ~$400 price range. While many of the more pricey 32" Samung LCD's offer better contrast and motion handling, the S1 is the better value.
The first thing you'll notice is how attractive the TV is. It looks like a premium model should, with only the significant thickness of the display marring the sleek and modern look.
The second thing you'll notice is the plastic remote. The buttons feel cheap and are somewhere between rubbery and hard plastic. It gives on odd feel to the remote control, unpleasantly so. Still, the functions of the remote work well, even if there are too many buttons with little function or practical use. Navigating menus is simple enough with the remote, but the menus should have been designed more intuitively.
OF course what matters is the picture quality. This is where the S1 shines. It has a powerful backlight that allows the TV to output a bright enough picture for any lighting environment. The contrast is great for a tv in this price range and the 1080p max resoltion is a great feature for those planning to use this tv as a computer display or want to sit up close playing PS3 or xbox 360.
The picture was held back by lack of 120 Hz technology, although motion handling was decent for a 60 Hz set. Another weak area is the lack of white balance or color settings. These are usually offered in more high-end models, but would have allowed proper calibration (less than 10 delta error on grayscale) of this tv without service menu access. WIth service menu accesss, this tv should calibrate well though as RGB levels were relatively flat across grayscale. It was nice to have a 100 point scale for backlight adjustment, but probably unneccessary. One tip: set your color tone to Warm Mode.
Sound was competent, but as with most TV's, you'll benefit from external speakers. The average consumer will probably be happy with the sound. I had no trouble getting ample volume out of this TV, contrary to some other Panasonic Viera reviews.
If you are looking for a 32" HDTV with the most bang per dollar, look no further. If you are considering a larger TV, there are several 37" and 42" LCD's and some 40" plasmas priced competitively.
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This review is from: Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-L32S1 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
On a Thursday morning, I ordered three items, standard shipping, super saver shipping:
Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-L32S1 32 inch 1080p LCD Television.
Sony DVP-NS710/B 1080p Upscaling DVD Player
Mediabridge Ultra Series 6 ft High Speed HDMI Cable
All three items arrived by early Friday afternoon, less than 36 hours later.
The system was operational 30 minutes later.
Picture quality on the Panasonic TV is exceptionally good.
Ordinary DVDs played on the Sony and displayed on the TV appear crystal clear and in high definition.
These are three outstanding products that work together beautifully. They were all packed well. Delivery was exceptionally fast.
Highly recommended.
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This review is from: Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-L32S1 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
I was looking for my first HDTV to place in my bedroom and this one seemed to fit the bill. There were a lot of complaints about weak sound, but I decided to take the plunge anyway. It was definitely the right decision.
I also don't think that the sound issue is as bad as some reviewers have made it to be. I rarely raise the volume past 25/100. Of course, keep in mind that it's a small bedroom and I'm usually 5-6 ft. away. As another reviewer suggested, check the "AI" audio sound settings. My TV actually came with the feature already turned off, so it might be that Panasonic has heard enough complaints about it. If you plan to put this in a big living room, then you MIGHT need some external speakers. But you should see how you like the sound first before buying any extra speakers.
The image quality on this set is pretty awesome. I have it hooked up to a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 4250HDC cable box and a PS3 with HDMI cables. Blu-Ray on the PS3 looks really good. Colors seems accurate and I have yet to see any hiccups. I've also streamed over 1080p videos from my Mac to my PS3 and it also looked great. The only thing that might be an issue is a bit of image blurring during sporting events. It's typically visible when players are moving, which causes things in the background (typically the crowd) to become blurry. Although most of your attention will be on the players, not the crowd, so it's not a huge deal.
Bottom line is that this TV is a wonderful entry level HDTV for the price being asked (about $450). If you're on the fence then get off of it and buy it.
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This review is from: Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-L32S1 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV (Electronics)
I previously purchased the 37-inch predecessor to this model one year ago for my Livingroom, and have been extremely satisfied. I knew I wanted to stay with Panasonic to replace the set in one of my bedrooms. I purchased the TC-L32S1 on Black Friday for a great price, and free super-saver shipping. This new 32-inch 1080p model meets all my expectations. The set-up is a breeze, the picture quality excellent, and I have no complaints with the sound quality or volume. If your in the market for a competively priced 1080p Television, this is a serious contender!
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